Ruby III: Trainer
by Silver as the Rain
Summary: The third instalment of the Ruby series, meaning our Ruby is heading to Johto! There she'll be catching new Pokémon, challenging gyms and having new adventures every day. With her faithful friends at her side, there's nothing better than travelling around a new region in search of new Pokémon and Ruby can't wait to earn all eight badges then challenge the Pokémon League!
1. Chapter 1

**Without further ado, I give you the next story in the Ruby Series, the Johto arc! Hope you guys enjoy, please leave a review with just a simple comment on what you think because it really helps to give me inspiration as a writer to hear that the readers like what I'm writing. Anyway, on with the story, I'll see you on the other side!**

 ***Note, I shall answer any questions in the reviews in the next chapter, so ask anything you like about the story, Ruby, her Pokémon ect.**

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The good news was we'd finally arrived in the Johto region. The bad news was…we're lost. How is it we've only been here five minutes and we're already lost? This is so not fair! We've been walking around in circles all day and now and Ash has only just noticed a tree branch up ahead that looks very familiar.

"You said you knew where you were going and we're totally lost now so where do we go?!" Misty demanded hotly, glaring at Ash who turned around swiftly.

"Well if you're so smart then why don't you be the one to decide?" He shouted back at her and she growled before standing up proudly.

"That's a good idea. I'll find a way out of here." She said then began to look around. After a few seconds Ash crossed his arms then leaned towards Misty with a smirk.

"Come on Misty let's go, we're waiting for your directions."

"Don't rush me Ash!" She snipped back, glaring at him. "I just have to think!"

"Well, this is going to be a brand new experience for you."

"We're not lost because of me!" She yelled back but then Brock forced them apart, shoving them away from each other in a loud voice.

"Hey! Yelling never solved anything so just calm down!" Hypocrite. "You two have to learn to be more mature like me." He said and we all peered at him closely in confusion.

"Uh…" Suddenly there was a deep breath of wind and Togepi lifted her head, blinking before smiling and jumping out of Misty's arms.

"Togi?" She marched off, chanting all the way. "Togi-Togi Piiiii!" She trilled and Pikachu quickly chased after her, making Ash call after him with worry.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!" I grabbed his collar and pulled him along with me as I ran, setting him in motion as we all chased after the Pokémon as they dove into the bush.

"Where're they going?" I asked in confusion but the moment we parted the bushes, we all stopped and stared in shock at the mysterious and beautiful sight that lay before us. I gasped deeply, staring at the Pokémon as it glowed a perfect blue, drinking from the water with light shining around it.

"A Pokémon." Brock whispered.

"It's beautiful." Misty answered and I nodded my head as Ash leaned closer.

"It sure is."

"But which one is it?" However all of us were too entranced to even think about bringing Dexter out to tell us, as his voice would break the enchantment of such a beautiful Pokémon. Lifting its head the Pokémon looked directly at us and I caught a splash of purple on its head with white also before it had turned and leaped gracefully away into the trees.

"Uh! Wait come back!" Ash yelled as he raced after the Pokémon but somehow he slipped and fell down the slope.

"Ash!" Misty, Brock and I yelled as we ran after him and the Pokémon but it turns out it wasn't a slope, just a very steep drop and we all fell down with him. Now Ash had already stood up, however when we landed on the bottom he tripped and fell on top of Misty, who lay on top of Brock, who was crushing me.

"Why do I have to always be the one who gets squished at the bottom?!" I yelled, struggling to even move. "Everyone please get off me! Right now all I want is to get out of these woods!"

"Sorry Ruby." Brock said, offering a hand and he helped me stand up. "You okay?" I took a deep breath, exhaled then nodded my head.

"Yeah I'm fine. How about _I_ get us all out of here?" I suggested then tossed a Pokéball up into the air. "Alright Pidgeotto, time for you to save the day!" I called brightly and she rose up into the air with a trill of her voice. "Pidgeotto, try and find the fastest way out of these woods to a place called New Bark Town, okay?" I said to her and she nodded her head.

"Pidgeo!" With that she flew off and I sat down, giving my legs a rest. We managed to climb back up the slope and waited there until Pidgeotto came back, fluttering her wings and calling out to me.

"Hey! Did you find the way?"

"Pidgeo, Pidgeo!" She nodded her head then began to circle around us, getting us to our feet.

"Alright, then show us the way!" I beamed then began to skip ahead, following Pidgeotto as she directed us out of the woods. It took longer than I thought it would. Much longer. By the time we left the trees Ash was crawling and I was beginning to tremble at my knees.

"I don't think I can go much further." Misty whimpered as I lifted my Pokéball.

"Good job Pidgeotto, thanks for your help." I said then let her return for a rest. Suddenly Ash called out and I looked up as he pointed to a sign.

"Hey look what that sign says!" We all read the words and my heart leaped for joy.

"New Bark Town!" Misty cried with relief. Suddenly Ash was full of energy, leaping up and punching the air.

"Alright!"

"Ash, maybe we'll see another one of those Pokémon we saw in the woods." She suggested and Ash quietened down, his mind wandering back to that beautiful and mysterious Pokémon we had seen.

"Hey yeah…" I could tell he was intrigued to know exactly what kind of Pokémon that was and I was too. I just had to know because I want to see it again someday. My daydream was interrupted however when Brock continued to read off the sign.

"New Bark Town. This way to the town where the winds of new beginnings blow." Standing upright he smiled and pounded his fists against the air, looking up and straight over the city. "Yes! Our next adventure starts right here!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" I questioned, smiling as I began to race down the track. "Let's get this adventure started!"

"Hey wait for me! I need to go to the Pokémon centre to register for the Johto League!" Ash yelled after me and I beamed.

"Gotta catch up first!" He laughed and took up my challenge, racing for all he was worth but he just didn't have the speed. I waited for them at the town entrance, hands on my hips as Ash gasped for air.

"Wow…you're really fast…I forgot about that little detail…" He panted and I laughed.

"Well, now that you're starting to get back into shape, let's go to the Pokémon centre to have a rest, shall we?" I suggested then pointed to a board of the town, pointing to our location which was marked with an arrow and then trailed the road to the Pokémon centre. "It's just around the corner, so let's go!"

"Finally! I get to meet Nurse Joy for the first time!" Brock cried out, spinning around with a hand to his heart. "I have dreamed about this moment for my entire life!"

"Uh…Brock? Haven't you already met other Nurse Joys'?" Misty reminded him but he shook his head.

"None like this one, they're all different after all and so easy to tell apart!" I clapped a hand to my head and sighed, unable to believe my ears.

"Here we go again." Sure enough the moment the Pokémon centre was in sight Brock rushed on ahead and dived straight in, running up to the desk then planted his hands down as his face grew all dreamy.

"Oh Nurse Joy!" However when a large, round and pink figure stood up, Brock's face fell.

"Chansey you're not Nurse Joy." He noted as the rest of us caught up with him.

"Well spotted Brock." I teased with a smile then turned to Chansey. "Hey there Chansey, where's Nurse Joy?" I asked and she beamed before pressing a button on the desk. A screen dropped down from above and turned on to reveal Nurse Joy smiling at us.

"Welcome all trainers, I'm Nurse Joy!" Brock almost drooled onto the desktop as he gazed up at Nurse Joy, blushing bright scarlet.

"Aahh…there she is!"

"That's funny." Misty noted.

"Yeah, why is she on TV?" I clapped him on the back of his head with a hiss.

"Sh! She'll explain." I told him and turned back to watch as Nurse Joy continued her explanation.

"I'm over at the Elm laboratory now and I'm sorry I'm not here to help you but I'll be back no later than two o' clock this afternoon." With that the screen went blank. Guess that's that, we'll have to just wait. I hope there's nothing wrong up at the lab with any of the Pokémon.

"Looks like we'll have to wait." Ash noted but Misty frowned then looked at the clock.

"Didn't she say she'd be back by two?" She questioned and we all instantly turned to check the time.

"It's already three thirty!" Ash complained then sighed. "Guess she must be running late."

"May as well sit down." Misty agreed, taking one of the seats but Brock zipped over to us with surprising speed, glaring down at us all as he yelled.

"We can't just sit here and hope that everything's okay! Don't you understand Nurse Joy might be in some kind of terrible danger?! Let's go find her!" He pointed to the door but the three of us just stared at him, slightly afraid.

"Whatever you say Brock." Ash agreed as, to be honest, you wouldn't want to disagree with Brock when he has his mind set on saving a pretty girl. "But where's this lab she went to?"

"That's easy." I said with a smile, giving a shrug as I walked over to a stand and picked up a leaflet about the town, opening it up to reveal a town map on the back with detail and all kinds of information. "We can find our way there with this." I said then began to study the way there. I picked up a pen from Nurse Joy's desk and marked the route to make sure I didn't lose track of the turns or get us lost. "Okay, let's go!"

"Yeah! Don't worry Nurse Joy, I'm coming to save you!" He raced out the door, leaving us and the map behind.

"Um…do you think we should remind him about the map?" Misty asked but I shook my head.

"Nah, he'll figure it out soon enough." I answered, leaving the Pokémon centre and began to lead the way. It didn't take us long but when we got there, I was surprised to find that there were police everywhere.

"Wonder what's going on here." Misty mused.

"Nothing good by the looks of things." I answered but then Ash turned around.

"Hey! Nurse Joy isn't the only familiar face in town!" He pointed towards Officer Jenny, which made Block blush bright red as he clapped his hands to his face in shock and delight.

"I can't believe it's her!" Somehow he pulled a bouquet of flowers from his backpack and he leaped over to Officer Jenny and stood up straight. "Hello Officer Jenny, I'm Brock and I would like to present to you a small token of my admiration." He informed her, making both Jenny and her Growlithe look at him strangely. "Perhaps you would like to get together this evening for a nice quiet…wagh!" Misty snatched his ear and dragged him away despite him clawing at the air, trying to get back.

"I'd better haul you off before she does." Nice one Misty! I giggled quietly then turned to face Officer Jenny as Ash politely approached her.

"Excuse me Officer Jenny, could you please tell us where we could find the lab of Professor Elm?" She lifted a hand and gestured behind her, smiling warmly.

"We happen to be standing right in front of it." She informed us and Ash balked in shock. Brock suddenly reappeared, somehow having gotten away from Misty and he looked at us with a determined expression.

"Looks like trouble. Don't worry Officer Jenny, leave this to me!" With that he raced inside before I could catch him, meaning as I leaped and missed, I crashed to the ground with a grunt.

"Ow. Brock you get back here!" I yelled but as I tried to get up Ash fell over and landed on me. "Hey!"

"Watch out!" Misty called as she came racing forwards too but without looking where she was going, I once again ended up at the bottom of the pile. "Misty, get off me!"

"Both of you get off me!" I quipped back, standing and shoving them both off of me before I raced in after Brock. "Wait up!" Officer Jenny watched in bewilderment before snapping to her senses, calling out after us.

"You can't go in there!" We found Brock easily enough, gripping Nurse Joy's hands and beginning to try and woo her but Misty cut in front, shoving him back and spread her arms to block his way to Nurse Joy.

"Hey! Save it Romeo we don't have time for that mushy stuff!"

"Can someone tell me what's going on here?" Nurse Joy asked and Ash beamed.

"Sure! You see…"

"You kids can't come barging in here in the middle of an official police investigation." Officer Jenny reprimanded, glaring down at Ash who then blinked in surprise.

"Investigation?"

"I'm afraid someone has stolen a Pokémon." Nurse Joy explained and we all stared in shock, speaking in unison.

"Stolen a Pokémon?!" Officer Jenny nodded her head sadly, folding her arms across her chest as she looked down at us.

"A new trainer's first Pokémon is gone. That poor girl, that poor Totodile." Jenny explained with a sigh but we all looked at her in confusion.

"Totodile?" We all questioned and Professor Elm stepped forwards, holding a new looking Pokémon in his arms. It was mouse like with a long snout and small body, dark blue at the top and a creamier underbelly.

"You see I was supposed to give this Cyndaquil and Totodile to two new trainers tomorrow." He explained and we all moved forwards to see the cute little Pokémon.

"Hey look at that!"

"It's a Cyndaquil!"

"It's so cute!" Misty agreed and I noticed the red spots on its back, which suddenly erupted into fire and Professor Elm expertly held the Pokémon away from him as we leaped back in surprise, staring at the activity but Professor Elm remained perfectly calm.

"Don't be alarmed, this is normal behaviour." He assured us and once the flames were gone he drew the Pokémon back closer to him again. "Maybe I should explain things more fully." He suggested then reached into his pocket. New Bark trainers get to choose one of three." He said then showed us a photo of a little green Pokémon with a leaf on its head. "A Chikorita. A new trainer just picked this one up the other day. It's a grass type. Or they can pick a Cyndaquil, a fire type. Or they can pick a Totodile which is a water type." He showed us another picture of a Pokémon with a big jaw, red spikes on its back and blue skin. It looked adorable!

"A water type! I'd pick that one." She decided firmly and I smiled.

"I think I'd go for the Chikorita, it looks so sweet but I bet it can pack a real punch!" I beamed and Ash looked up at Professor Elm.

"New trainers back home get to pick a Charmander, or a Squirtle, or a Bulbasaur but I got Pikachu!" He said and I nodded my head.

"Whilst I got Charmander, because I actually showed up on time to get my Pokémon, Ash Ketchum." He gave a guilty laugh and rubbed the back of his head as I shook my head slightly. Ah, those were the days.

"Well if those were the Pokémon you had to pick from I'd say you were from Pallet Town" Professor Elm guessed and we both smiled.

"That's right!" Ash and I said together. "But I've come to register for the Johto League."

"So I suppose you must know Samuel Oak!" Ash nodded his head.

"Professor Oak gave me this Pikachu and he's a good friend of mine and he was even at my house for dinner the other night."

"Yeah he's a good person." Brock said as I glanced around my surroundings, admiring the tall trees and the warm sunshine. "Have you ever met him yourself Professor Elm?" Professor Elm stepped back and lifted a fist into the air, glasses flashing in the sunlight.

"Of course I know Professor Oak! I was his top student! I remember the first paper I submitted to him at the university. A brilliant analysis of the hyphenized communicative faculties of Pokémon!" Before he could go into his large arm and hand gestures Nurse Joy had picked up Cyndaquil from him and I was now tickling his belly, making him squeal happily and kick his legs as Misty and I giggled at the adorable Pokémon.

Nurse Joy shifted Cyndaquil into a more comfortable position, gazing down at the sweet little Pokémon before looking to us. "I know Professor Elm may sound like a hothead but he's really very sweet and he raises wonderful Pokémon!"

"Hey Ash?" I said, giving him a gentle prod. "Don't you have something you want to ask Nurse Joy?" I said and he thought for a moment before beaming.

"Oh right! Nurse Joy, the reason we came out here looking for you was so that I could register for the Johto League." He explained and Nurse Joy smiled with a little laugh.

"I'm so sorry, I was supposed to be back at the Pokémon centre by two but when I got the lab I just lost track of time." She said and we all nodded our heads in understanding but Misty hung hers, looking sadly at the ground.

"I just feel bad for that trainer who's supposed to get that Totodile tomorrow."

"Yeah! When I was a new trainer, I got so excited about getting my new Pokémon I couldn't even sleep the night before!" Ash said and Misty arched an eyebrow and smirked at him.

"So you slept until four the next day." Ash didn't have an answer for that so he just quickly moved on, shaking off Misty's stab at him which I greatly appreciated.

"Anyway I'm just saying I know what it feels like to look forward to the day you finally get your first Pokémon." He said then looked to Pikachu with a nod. "That's why I'm going to do everything I can to help you track down that thief and bring back that Pokémon!"

"We'll all help find it Nurse Joy!" Misty agreed and before I could say anything another officer came running towards us.

"Officer Jenny! We didn't find any finger prints but we made a plaster cast of some suspicious footprints we found out back behind the lab." He lifted it up to show us three footprints. One was a boot, the other a heeled boot and the last a Pokémon's paw print. As we all peered closer I glanced to Misty and Ash.

"Look familiar to you?"

"Yeah, it looks like Team Rocket's followed us all the way out here!" Ash said, clenching his fists. "Wait till I find them. I'll show them why they shouldn't go around stealing Pokémon from other trainers!" Smiling I stepped forwards and twirled around.

"Looks like a job for Pidgeotto! Come on out!" I called and sent her up into the air, catching the ball neatly as it dropped back down then lifted my arm to let her land there. "Alright Pidgeotto, we've got a stolen Pokémon that's been kidnapped by someone. They can't be too far from here so I want you to go and start looking for them, okay? You're looking for a blue reptilian like Pokemon, like on the picture here." I explained and she nodded her head.

"Pidgeo!" She rose up and flapped her wings so I began to lead the way.

"Come on! We'll start with the footprints and follow them from there." Officer Jenny blinked in surprise.

"Wow, you would make a great detective young lady." She smiled then hurried after me with the others in hot pursuit. Pidgeotto flew ahead, following the tracks until they disappeared to find us the right path as we kept on running.

Growlithe ran ahead of us too, following the scent and together, he and Pidgeotto brought us closer and closer to the thieves. Suddenly Pidgeotto took a dive and I pointed up ahead. "There! She's found them!" I called to the others and Growlithe began to bark, picking up the pace so I did too, increasing my speed until finally we were faced with Team Rocket all in a bundle, fighting with one another and a Totodile clamped onto the end of Jessie's hair.

"It's Team Rocket!" Ha, knew it and they blew it.

"I'm placing you all under arrest for stealing that Totodile from Professor Elm's lab." Officer Jenny declared, lifting up a pair of handcuffs. Well, get ready. We all know what comes next.

"Prepare for trouble you'll never take us in." Jessie announced proudly, smirking at us as the Totodile remained clamped on her hair.

"Make it double we're sure to win." James answered and I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"Here we go again. Looks like old habits die hard."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James…"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light." Surrender now or prepare to fight, yeah, yeah, we've heard it all before and it always ends up the same. You guys _literally_ blasting off at the speed of light when we beat you! Officer Jenny, however, was just confused.

"Could you repeat that?" Team Rocket hit the deck with a groan before Jessie leaped back up and glared at her.

"Listen you!" She started to swing her head and hair around, swinging the Totodile with it so it remained clamped on tight. "It just so happens that this Totodile and I are inseparable." However Ash was having none of it. He stepped forwards and pointed to Team Rocket with anger blazing in his eyes.

"That Totodile is supposed to be the first Pokémon a new trainer thinks she's coming to pick up tomorrow. It belongs to _her_. Now, doesn't your conscience bothers you? Even a little?" James looked up in thought, blinking slowly.

"My conscience _does_ bother me a bit." Good. Out of the three I've always found James to be the more reasonable of the bunch.

"Well not me I'm _unconscious_!" Meowth yelled back at us. Him on the other hand? Can't stand him.

"I suppose my conscience would bother me if Team Rocket didn't go by a somewhat different ethical standard." She answered so Meowth lifted a finger to point upwards.

"Finders keepers losers weepers!" He called and the three of them dashed off, trying to escape.

"Oh no you don't, not so fast!" I yelled, jumping in front of Ash and sent a Pokéball flying. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur appeared, feet grounded and ready for battle so I pointed at Team Rocket. "Vine Whip!"

"Bulba!" He agreed, shooting out a vine and wrapped it around Meowth's foot, tripping him up to achieve a domino affect, catching all of Team Rocket in one strike. "Bulbasaur." He growled, stepping forwards as he then flicked out his vine again to try and catch the Totodile.

"Okay. Weezing, I choose you!" James called and sent out his Pokémon and we all knew what was coming next. "Smokescreen!" A black gas poured out of Weezing's mouth, surrounding us in a veil where I couldn't see a thing.

"Pidgeotto! Blow this Smokescreen away with your Gust!" I called and she dove down from the sky, shooting around us then began to flap her wings swiftly and blew away the smoke. "Bulbasaur, grab that Totodile!" I called and Bulbasaur secured his vine around Totodile, yanking back on it to try and dislodge it from Jessie's hair. "You can do it Bulbasaur, pull!" I called and with one more giant tug, Bulbasaur pulled Totodile free.

The Pokémon sailed through the air so I grabbed it, smiling as I snuggled it close to me. "Gotcha! That was a close one." I said and Totodile kicked his legs playfully.

"To-todile!" Giggling I looked up as Team Rocket sent out their next Pokémon.

"This calls for a Victreebel Vine Whip!" James decided and before he knew it, he had a plant Pokémon on his head. "Wait let go! Victreebel!"

"Ugh…" Jessie moaned in complaint. "I choose you, Lickitung!" Her Pokéball flew forwards and let out her Pokémon.

"Well I choose Charizard!" Ash called and he appeared with a loud roar.

"Alright guys, let's do this!" I cheered. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf! Pidgeotto, use Twister!"

"You help out Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Ash called as he teamed up with me. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" All four Pokémon stepped up into line and sent out their attacks. They combined, forming a spinning cyclone which slammed into Team Rocket's Pokémon and themselves, throwing them back until the blast flung them into the sky, the familiar tune of their going away song.

"Oh that's a shame. I was just getting used to their company." I mused then knelt down with Totodile as Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur came rushing over to me. "You guys were excellent. See? Mission accomplished." I beamed, letting them greet Totodile whilst I reached out with one hand and rubbed Bulbasaur's head.

"Bulba, Bulbasaur!" He beamed proudly, the chime of his bell ringing softly so I giggled.

"That was great work everyone!" Ash agreed and Officer Jenny peered up to the sky, shadowing her eyes to try and see Team Rocket.

"Well, no arrest…" But Brock leaped out in front of her with a sickly grin on his face, hands clasped together.

"You can take me into custody." He said in a drooling tone, making me exhale with a shake of my head as I began to return all my Pokémon. Suddenly Misty grabbed Brock's ear and dragged him backwards.

"Come on lover boy, what you need is solitary confinement." Standing upright I nodded to Ash and let him take Totodile over to Jenny to return it.

"Glad we can help officer." Ash told her as she smiled and took the Pokémon back.

"Thanks to you all, a new Pokémon trainer is going to be very happy." Ash smiled and nodded his head.

"Now I can finally go and get registered for the Johto League." Ash beamed and I laughed.

"It's about time. I was beginning to think we'd never get around to it with all this excitement." I shrugged then began to think. Since we're in a new region, they'll be loads of new badges as well as new Pokémon. New badges mean more challenges so…maybe I should give it a shot? "And Ash? I've been thinking." He looked at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Pika?" Pikachu questioned me so I lowered my head with a little blush, biting my lip.

"I was thinking maybe I should challenge gym leaders to battles too and…and maybe…try for the Johto League." I looked up to see Ash staring at me, unsure of how to react. "Is that okay? I mean, I'd love to keep up my training and pushing myself and I was thinking you and I could help one another so…"

"Are you kidding? It's a great idea!" I sighed with relief as Ash grinned. "Now we have a better chance of defeating Gary!" I laughed, nodding my head.

"You bet!" Extending my hand Ash gripped it, clenching our fists together as we looked determinedly at one another. "But that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you Ash Ketchum. I'll be aiming for the top, so you'll have to beat me if you want it so bad."

"No way, you'll have to beat _me_." He answered back. "This makes us rivals as well as friends, so you better be ready!" Nodding my head in agreement I felt the excitement begin to grow more and more as I thought about what was next in store for us.


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter is here! Featuring my favourite Johto starter Pokémon, yay! Like before in the first fanfic, I'll be deviating from canon a little on the basis of I don't have the time to write out everything that happens in the series and also, it gets a little boring if you're reading the same stuff that you watched on TV so I'll be doing my own thing a little here. I've also begun to think about what kind of Pokémon Ruby will catch in Johto and I'm leaning towards a bug type, because I love them though I'm not too sure which one yet. Plus, I will have a surprise in store for you readers concerning a very famous character in the Pokémon series who will become mixed up in the story somehow. Guess if you can! Good luck ;)**

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A new dawn, a new day, a new…oh look! Breakfast is ready! Yeah! Shaking out my hair I pulled it back, tied on my red bandana then plonked my hat on my head. "Hey Brock! Need a hand?" I asked him and he lifted his head as I smelled the waffles. "They smell amazing."

"Thanks Ruby but I'm almost done. You just get your plate and I'll fill it up for you." Not needing any further encouragement I grabbed my plate and sat down for breakfast. Misty and Ash came back from freshening up and once breakfast was all eaten and our things all packed, we were back on the road again.

"I sure am glad we got to see a real live Totodile." Ash said as we walked along the road.

"Yeah and that Cyndaquil was one of the cutest Pokémon I've ever seen." Misty agreed.

"Too bad we didn't get to see a Chikorita." Brock noted and I agreed. It looked like such an adorable yet spunky Pokémon. We got only a couple more steps when Pikachu sensed something.

"Pika?"

"What's the matter Pikachu?"

"Chuuu." He pointed ahead so we looked up and to the left a little to see a young girl with purple hair wearing a baseball getup training with her Chikorita.

"What is that girl doing?" Misty asked in confusion so I shrugged.

"Don't know. Let's ask her." I suggested then moved forwards. "Look at that Chikorita, it's adorable." I smiled then pulled out Dexter. "Talk to me buddy."

"Chikorita, the Leaf Pokémon. Chikorita releases a sweet relaxing fragrance from the leaf on its head." Sweet, that's awesome.

"That headband makes Chikorita look really sporty, doesn't it?" Misty smiled.

"I bet you that girl is just starting out as a Pokémon trainer and she got her Chikorita in New Bark Town from Professor Elm." Ash folded his arms and gave a thoughtful look.

"I wonder what sort of attacks it uses." Just then a little Rattata leaped out of the bushes.

"Taking the field for the visitors is Ratatta! And on the mound for the home team is the vegetation sensation, the grass type that'll mow the competition down! The one, the only Chikorita!" She commentated as she spoke into a yellow cone as if to amplify her voice. "It's game time!" Her Chikorita turned back to her trainer and nodded her head, eyes narrowed in concentration as it then looked back to the opponent. "Play ball! Tackle attack, now!"

"Chika!" Chikorita leaped forwards and ran at the Rattata swiftly, those little legs working hard but the Rattata leaped out the way easily, forcing Chikorita to turn around quickly to face it again.

"And the first one's slow and in the dirt but Chikorita's just warming up, the next one is coming straight down the plate! Go!" Chikorita bounded forwards again and this time with much more force. It ploughed into the Rattata and it fell on its back, taken down in just one hit.

"Now that's a spunky Pokémon. I love it." I said with appreciation as I folded my arms and watched as the girl beamed happily.

"Perfect strike! Chikorita's smokin' Tackle attack knocked Rattata right out of the box! This game is over!" She declared as she picked out a Pokéball then flung it like a baseball at the Rattata to catch it. It went into the Pokéball and the centre glowed red as it wriggled on the ground once, twice, then boom! It was caught.

The girl almost seemed shocked that she'd managed to catch it, staring in silence for a moment before laughing with victory and swiping up her new Pokémon. "Another team Casey win!" She declared then high fived her Chikorita's leaf, the both of them celebrating their newest victory then turned around. "Will the fans please rise and salute Casey and Chikorita by singing their victory song!" She cheered and I blinked. Did she mean us? When she stared to sing the Electabuzz chant for the baseball team on her own, I guess she didn't.

Once she had finished her chant with a cheer she turned to her smiling Pokémon and let it back into the Pokéball. That's when she noticed us. She turned around and glared with such force that we all backtracked a little with a gulp. Man, she looks scary.

Suddenly she yelled and raced forwards with her head lowered like a charging Tauros, making us all yell in fear as she came closer but then she pulled up short and stared at Pikachu with the brightest smile.

"I don't believe it! A Pikachu! Yay!" She cheered then lifted Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder as he blinked in shock and bewilderment. "I just love those powerful pinstripes and that shocking yellow coat!" She declared in admiration then began to hug Pikachu, who looked as bewildered as Ash did. "Your Pikachu's a grand slam!" She told Ash who began to walk forwards carefully.

"Hey easy! That's a high voltage Pikachu!" Ash told her but she merely held up Pikachu, gazing at him adoringly.

"You think it would really shock me? What a blast! I always wondered what that's like, come on Pikachu! Turn on the juice, give me a taste!"

"Pika…" Sparks began to jump on Pikachu's cheeks and Ash hurried to try and save the day.

"No Pikachu she doesn't know what she's saying!" I'll say. You do not want to be hit by one of Pikachu's Thunderbolts, it makes you tingle all over for at least an entire day afterwards and your hair also has to recover from the shock. It's not fun.

"Come on you little rat! Give me a jolt!" Casey yelled, frightening Pikachu into obeying despite Ash trying to snatch him away from her. The two of them lit up brightly like little stars, quivering from the shock as Pikachu gave Casey exactly what she asked for. And then some. "Bad idea." She groaned when Pikachu had stopped his attack.

"I tried to tell ya." Ash answered in a similar voice and I couldn't help but grin. Ah those two would be great together. Both stubborn, hot headed, reckless, impulsive…it was meant to be.

"Thanks a lot…"

"Don't mention it. Ugh…" Ash dropped to the ground to reveal us, so I smiled.

"Hi! I'm Ruby, nice to meet you Casey. This is Misty, Brock and Ash." I introduced, stepping forwards and clapping hands with her. "That was an impressive battle with your Chikorita, considering you two are only just starting out as a team, right?"

"That's right! I'm a _huge_ baseball fan and just became a Pokémon trainer." She said as we found somewhere to sit down so Ash could recover.

"We really like your Chikorita. Did you get it from Professor Elm?" Brock asked and Casey beamed.

"I sure did!" She told us then her eyes sparkled at Pikachu. "Oh I'm just crazy about yellow Pokémon, especially with stripes, that's why I think your Pikachu is so adorable! But the Pokémon I want more than anything in the world is Electabuzz!" She informed us, standing up straight as she beamed. "Someday I might even have a whole team of yellow Pokémon! All of them with stripes!"

"How come you like yellow and striped Pokémon so much Casey?" Ash asked and she clutched her face dreamily, swaying slightly as she explained.

"Because my family's been rooting for the Electabuzz for three generations!" She told us and I blinked. Wow, that was dedication.

"You mean the Electabuzz baseball team?" Ash questioned and Casey nodded her head quickly.

"That's right." The boys glanced at one another, obviously thinking about the team.

"An Electabuzz fan huh? No wonder you're so full of energy."

"But don't the Electabuzz always finish in last place?" I slapped the back of his head for that dumb comment. What kind of idiot says that to their number one fan?

"This season's going to be different!" Casey defended and I applauded her loyalty and confidence. "This season they're going to win the series!" Ash laughed mockingly and shook his head.

"No way! The Electabuzz will get creamed by teams like the Magikarp and the Starmie."

"You quit saying bad things about the Electabuzz, they're going to beat everybody!" Casey yelled back at Ash and before he could say anything more to insult Casey and embarrass himself I clamped my hand down on his mouth and held him back.

"Okay! That's enough of the friendly conversation!" I trilled, giving a nervous laugh. "I'm sure that no matter where the Electabuzz finish, they'll always do their best and that's all that really matters! Right everyone?" I asked for support and both Misty and Brock nodded.

"Of course!" Turning back to Casey I flung Ash behind me, letting him fall to the ground as I stepped over to Casey.

"It's been nice to meet you Casey, I hope we bump into one another again but we've really got to get going. You make sure you train hard but don't push your Pokémon over the brink, they always need good rest and good fun to really build up their strength and affection for you." I said then pulled something out of my bag. "Here, I want you to have this." Casey stared down at the Thunder Stone with a gasp, letting me drop it into her hand. "If you ever find an Eevee, give it that stone and it'll evolve into a Jolteon, which is another yellow Pokémon you can add to your team." I explained and she beamed.

"Wow! For real? Thanks so much! Are you sure you want to give this to me? These kinds of stones are super rare!" I nodded my head.

"I'm sure. It means we're all friends now, okay? Besides, I'd been doing research on evolution stones for Professor Oak a few months ago and had to go out collecting a few for him, so I found plenty." I explained. "Take good care of it and yourself, okay?"

"Sure! Thanks a lot Ruby, you're great." She beamed at me and I smiled.

"Thanks, say goodbye to your Chikorita for us!"

"Yeah, bye Casey, make sure you eat well." Brock told her, taking out a sandwich and handed it to her. "It's important for a trainer to always have enough supplies and to keep nourished whilst training."

"It's been a blast meeting you." Misty joked with a smile. "See you later!"

"Bye Casey! Next time we meet we'll have a battle!" Ash called as we began to head off. "We'll see how strong you've become then!"

"You bet on it Ash, I'll take you out in three strikes, you wait and see!" Casey laughed as she waved goodbye to us. It's always great meeting new friends on a journey. You never really forget anyone who makes an impression and Casey certainly did that. I just can't get that song out of my head!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three has arrived, hope you all enjoy it! It's one of my favourite episodes from the anime because it's where Ash meets one of my favourite Pokémon owned by him. It's just so cute! I _love_ bug types :) review and tell me what your favourite types are, I'm curious to know because I'm nosy ;)**

* * *

"Hey, that's weird." I looked up as Ash stopped walking and followed his line of sight to find out what he was looking at. I spotted the group of trees that were completely stripped bare of all leaves, the spindly wood looking sickly and frail. "The whole forest is green except for those trees there."

"Yeah." Misty agreed, looking around her as we went a little closer. "They don't have a single leaf left on their branches."

"The trees don't look burned and it's too early for the leaves to drop off." Brock said to us, bewildering us even more.

"That's so sad, these poor trees…" I murmured, reaching out to touch one only to find it felt dead as much as it looked that way.

"Pikachu…Pika?" Pikachu suddenly pricked up his long ears, hearing something ahead so we all looked down at him.

"What's out there Pikachu?" Ash asked but Brock had already spotted what Pikachu had heard.

"Guys look over there!" We all snapped our heads around to look ahead at a massive oak tree, standing tall and still but on the trunk were several strange looking creatures I had never seen before.

"What are they?" Misty asked, shrinking back behind me and I frowned.

"They look like bug types." I said, noticing their little wings, hard shells and large horns. Instantly Misty shuddered and hid further behind me for protection.

"Not bugs! They're so creepy! I just can't _stand_ bug Pokémon!" Ash picked up his Pokédex and listened to the information stored there.

"Heracross, the single horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favourite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees." That's quite interesting, so these Pokémon rely on the forest to provide them with sap so they can carry on existing.

"I'm going to try to catch all those Heracross!" Ash declared and I blinked at him in surprise. "I can save the tree and get some neat Pokémon!" He explained and I frowned at him.

"But Ash, why would you want all of them? One should be more than enough and besides, I don't think they're really doing _that_ much harm here." I tried to plead with him but it was a voice behind us that made Ash stop in his tracks.

"She's right you know. You're free to catch the Heracross if you like but if you do, you might be responsible for causing more harm to this forest than you know." It was a guy in an orange jumpsuit, wearing a simple hat on his bushy brown hair.

"Who're you?" Ash asked and the stranger smiled.

"My name is Woodruff. I'm a ranger for the Forest and Wildlife Bureau." He introduced and I gave a little wave.

"Hello, my name is Ruby. And this hothead over here is Ash." I smiled, slinging an arm over his shoulder which made him laugh a little as he grinned at me.

"My name's Brock."

"And mine's Misty." The others introduced so I let go of Ash and stepped forwards.

"I'm sorry if we're disturbing you or the Pokémon. We were just on our way to challenge the Violet City gym leader." I explained and he nodded his head.

"It's no trouble, I imagine you're all experienced Pokémon trainers."

"Right!" Ash agreed though I gave him a little nudge.

"Though some of us need to do a little more training." He turned around and glared playfully at me.

"Hey, I train plenty!" I arched my eyebrow with a smirk.

"One session since we've got here. You call that plenty?"

"It was a good session!" He argued back but Brock quickly pulled us apart.

"Okay that's enough now, let's not make a row that disturbs the whole forest and send a hoard of Beedrill chasing after us." Okay, he had a point. I'll save the banter for when we're out of the forest. Then I can get onto teasing Ash for his lack of motivation.

"I'm sure you're eager to catch as many Heracross as you can but in reality, you would do much more harm than good." Woodruff explained to us and we all listened curiously.

"Really?"

"It's important to understand how delicate the balance of nature can be." He nodded his head and Ash frowned, scratching his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"To survive in this forest, Butterfree need Heracross to live with them side by side." He then pointed back towards the tree and we all turned to see a flock of Butterfree fluttering towards it and when they reached an open patch of sap, they began to drink alongside the Heracross.

"Oh! I see! The Butterfree are too weak to dig into the trees." Ash said and I smiled to him proudly. Way to go Ash!

"They need the Heracross to get the sap flowing." Brock continued.

"The Heracross eat their fill, the Butterfree lick the leftovers and everybody's happy." Ash finished and I nodded my head, however there was still one question remaining. How come the trees were all dying?

"Well I wouldn't be so sure about that." Misty said, looking also to the dead trees. "The Butterfree and the Heracross may be helping each other but their hurting the forest."

"Nature must be out of balance." Ash noted and we all looked to Ranger Woodruff for an answer but he looked down at the ground sadly.

"I'm afraid the balance has been destroyed by a dangerous band of invaders." Uh oh, that's bad. That's very bad. Especially the dangerous part.

"What kind of invaders?" Little did we know we would have our answer sooner than we would like. Pikachu picked up an incoming sound and turned around, making us all look to find a large hoard of Pinsir thundering towards the tree, drawn in by the scent of the sap.

"Here they come!" Brock called out and quickly pulled Misty and I back, putting out an arm to shield us as the Pinsir came closer. They leaped onto the tree and snapped their pincers together, frightening away the Butterfree but the Heracross remained put, guzzling down as much as they could.

"Knock it off Pinsir! Go eat someplace else!" Ash yelled at them and Misty stepped forwards too.

"Come on Heracross! Don't just sit there, those Pinsir will take your drink if you don't do something!" Seemingly at Misty's prompting, the Heracross spread their wings and flew up into the air, grouping together to face the Pinsir. "That's the spirit!"

"Chase those Pinsir out of there!" Ash joined in as the Heracross dived down towards the Pinsir, their horns lowered and aimed. For a moment it all looked promising, however the moment all the Pinsir stood up and snapped their pincers together threateningly, the Heracross all turned around and flew out of there as quickly as they could.

"What happened?" Misty asked in confusion. "Why did the Heracross bug out and fly away?"

"Heracross _could_ chase off those Pinsir but they're just too peaceful and friendly. The Heracross would rather take flight than stay around and fight." Woodruff explained and I sighed in defeat. Well, looks like this is going to have to be sorted the hard way.

"Sometimes that's a pretty smart philosophy." Ash reasoned but Brock shook his head.

"Yeah, but if the Heracross don't fight off the Pinsir then all the trees the Butterfree feed on will be destroyed." Brock answered but then Ash gave a yell.

"Agh! Looks like trouble!" We all turned to see a Butterfree still caught amongst the Pinsir, shivering with fear but then a Heracross poked up its head, standing in front of the frightened little Butterfree. "A Heracross!"

"It's trying to protect that Butterfree that got left behind!" But as Brock spoke the Pinsir began to stab their pincers down onto the hard shell of the Heracross, and although it looked strong it was still taking damage and there would only be so much it could take.

"They're ganging up on Heracross! I gotta help it!" Ash said and I nodded my head, picking out a Pokéball of my own.

"You got it Ash, let's help those Pokémon!" I said and we nodded our heads together before sending out our Pokémon. "Go Eevee!" I chose, sending her out and she leaped forwards, shaking out her fur then tensed her body ready for battle.

"Vee!"

"I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash selected and the tough little grass Pokémon appeared. "Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip attack!"

"Bulbasaur!"

"Eevee, you help out and use Swift!" I pointed and she nodded her head.

"Vee!" Stars shot out from her mouth as she directed them at the Pinsir, helping Bulbasaur to knock them down off the tree to give both Butterfree and the Heracross an opening to escape. The Butterfree flew away but the Heracross remained, too tired to even fly!

"Oh no! It's taken too much damage!" I called as the Pinsir jumped back onto the tree. "Quick Eevee, use Swift again!"

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt attack!" The two attacks combined to make a powerful hit against the Pinsir who all dropped off the tree once more, leaving Heracross alone but then they turned to us, hissing and spitting with anger before they charged.

Pikachu made to leap forwards but Eevee jumped in front of him, eyes narrowed as she nodded her head. "Vee."

"Okay Eevee, use Shadow Ball rapid fire!"

"Huh?!" Everyone stared at me as Eevee sucked in a deep breath before blowing out a series of dark balls, hitting the Pinsir with large booms of sound which made them tremble and quake in fear before racing away back to their own territory for safety. "Ruby, when did you teach Eevee Shadow Ball?" Misty asked me and I turned back with a smile and a wink as I walked over to Eevee.

"Oh you know, whilst you guys were in the Orange Islands I taught my Pokémon really useful moves." I answered then turned back to Eevee as she leaped into my arms. "You were great! You helped save that Butterfree and Heracross, Eevee, you should be very proud of yourself!"

"Vee!" She beamed then licked my cheek, snuggling close to me as the others went over to the tree.

"You can come on down now Heracross!" Ash shouted and the Pokémon gently flew down and walked over to Bulbasaur and Pikachu. "Hey look! Heracross wants to thank Bulbasaur and Pikachu!" Ash said proudly but then Heracross grabbed Bulbasaur and anchored his mouth to his bulb, sucking out any juices it could find.

"Agh! Guess again! It's sucking all the pollen out of Bulbasaur's bulb!" Brock corrected quickly and Bulbasaur's face grew stormy.

"Saur! Bulbasaur!" With that he whipped Heracross with his vines, sending it flying backwards and it landed heavily on its back, arms and legs flailing as it tried to get back up.

"Heracross learned the hard way that there's no free lunch." Brock commented as we all just stared.

"I think we all got suckered in. Heracross wasn't trying to protect Butterfree, it was just hungry for more tree sap." Misty assumed, shaking her head slightly.

"Maybe." Brock said and I agreed. Perhaps Heracross was trying to protect both its lunch _and_ the Butterfree. After all, it did take lots of hits whilst standing right in front of its after all.

"Who cares if it was just trying to protect its lunch? Heracross scared off the Pinsir and now everything's back to normal, right?" Ash questioned but Woodruff shook his head.

"I'm afraid it won't be long until those Pinsir are right back." He answered and we all whirled around in shock.

"What? How come?" I asked. "Surely they've been taught not to mess with these trees, why would they come back? Don't they have trees in their own territory?"

"The Heracross and Pinsir have always lived in peace because they've each had their own forest. Only recently something has been driving Pinsir out of their forest and into Heracross territory. I'm afraid I don't know yet why they're coming over here, but if I can find out then maybe I can stop them."

"Then we'll help!" I volunteered. "We can help you find out why the Pinsir are being such meanies and then everything can be set back to the way things were. Right guys?" Misty laughed nervously.

"Uh…don't we have a train to catch or something?" She tried but I folded my arms and stood my ground.

"Misty, this forest need our help! You can't just leave it now!"

"If we don't then the whole forest could be destroyed." Brock added and she gulped nervously.

"Yeah, right." Ash turned around with me and together we clenched our fists, narrowing our eyes in concentration as we faced Woodruff.

"We'll do anything we can to help!" We both declared before glancing to one another and smirking. Well, great minds think alike, I suppose.

"Great! Let's head for the Pinsir forest." Woodruff said then began to lead the way. Misty hung at the back, constantly looking around her as she jittered nervously, worried a bug Pokémon was going to spring out at her any second. "It'll be slow going, the underbrush here is pretty thick." Woodruff told us but I looked to Ash and we both nodded our heads.

"We can fix that." He said so I called out my Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur! Time to team up and help out!" He appeared with a confident call but the moment he was completely formed, Bulbasaur turned and leaped on me with his bell chiming away. "Agh!" I yelped, my body getting flattened by the affectionate Pokémon as he licked my face and I giggled. "Alright Bulbasaur I'm glad to see you too buddy!" I laughed, pushing him off me so that I could sit up and rub his head. "Hey, how about some Razor Leaf to help cut back the overgrown bushes?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Bulbasaur!" Springing forwards he joined Ash's Bulbasaur and together they cut through the undergrowth. With our freshly cut path we followed the two Bulbasaur as they forged our way through, happily enjoying the sunshine as well. That is until Brock spoke.

"Don't look now but I think we've got some company." I slowly glanced over my shoulder, catching a quick glimpse of the same Heracross we'd help rescue earlier.

"I bet Heracross wants me to be its protector!" Ash said but Misty and I just looked at him blankly before she smiled.

"And I bet Heracross just wants to be a nectar protector!" Ash's Bulbasaur stopped and looked back.

"Bulba?" Upon seeing the Heracross he raced at it, growling angrily. "Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur Saur!" He leaped up into the air and was just about to send an attack at the Heracross when I nodded my head to my own Bulbasaur who quickly wound his Vine Whip around Bulbasaur, pulling him back and gently set him at Ash's side. "Bulba?"

"Bulbasaur, you know it's not nice to just attack other Pokémon like that." I said to him. "If you want Heracross to leave you alone, you only have to ask nicely." I planted my hands on my hips and nodded to the others. "Come on, we'd better hurry."

Everyone else nodded their head in agreement so we continued down the path, both Bulbasaur cutting our way through until Woodruff stopped us. "The path should be clear from now on."

"Right." We both said at once and turned to our own Pokémon. "There you are Bulbasaur, you take a well deserved rest." I said as Ash did the same. Woodruff led the way and it wasn't long until I was standing in direct sunlight, having broken free from the woods.

Before us lay a steep drop into a seemingly never ending crevasse which was as dark as if someone had dipped their pen in black in and drawn it over the earth. "Wow, look how deep that canyon is!" Misty breathed as we looked down over the edge. That was very deep. I don't think I'd like to be the idiot who falls over.

"Yes it's quite a drop." Woodruff said as I leaned a little closer, hearing the rush of water from down below. "The Pinsir forest is on the other side of the river." He said and we looked up over to the forest on the other side.

"Do we have to climb all the way down then back up to get there?" Ash asked but Woodruff merely chuckled and shook his head.

"No, lucky for us there's an old rope bridge upriver." When he said old, I pictured a little rickety, maybe a little on the drab side but still intact. What we found was practically two ropes crossing over the river and hardly any wooden boards left. "Oh no!" Woodruff gasped as he ran closer. "I was just here a week ago and the bridge was fine!"

"Maybe it wore out and the ropes finally broke."

"It's alright, we'll find a way across." I said to Woodruff comfortingly.

"Hey! Look down there!" Misty said and we looked to find a large root jutting out from the cliff which the Pinsir were using to spring from one side to the other. "The Pinsir have their own way across."

"Lucky for us, so do we!" I smiled then flung out a Pokéball. "Charizard! I choose you!" I called and he came out with a proud roar, stretching his wings up before turning to look at me, waiting for directions. "Okay Charizard, I need you to fly us over to the other side of this canyon. Could you do that for me?"

In answer Charizard bent down and rubbed his head into me, growling affectionately as I giggled, catching a hold of his head. "Okay! That's great! Climb on everyone!" I said and they all blinked at me.

"Won't Charizard need to make loads of trips?" Misty asked but I shook my head.

"No, we've been working on Charizard's strength and endurance. He could take all of us but I suppose since there's not that much room we can do this in two groups. Who wants to go first?" I asked but then I heard something begin to crunch and crack. "Huh?" I turned around to see a tree beginning to fall, leaning this way with us very close to its line of fire. "Agh!"

Charizard roared and whipped out his tail, grabbing both me and Ash as we yelled together and Charizard dragged us out the way as the tree fell, seeing as there wasn't enough time for him to stop it himself. "Hey look! It's that Heracross, he built us a bridge!" Brock said and we all looked to see the Heracross.

"Huh, maybe it really does want to help." Misty mused then looked over the side of the canyon and to the new tree bridge. "But I'm not getting on that thing. Charizard, I'm hitching a ride with you." She decided and climbed up onto his back as he watched the Heracross carefully, making sure it didn't try anything funny.

"It's okay buddy, we'll be fine." I assured him. "Anyone else?" I offered but the boys all shook their heads.

"If you girls are too wimpy to use the bridge then that's fine." Ash said with a smirk. "We boys will show you how it's done." Oh the nerve of him! He better watch out because tonight I'm putting hot sauce in his dinner!

Charizard snorted at him then looked up as I climbed aboard, patting his back. "Okay buddy, let's go!" Charizard flapped his wings and easily carried us both in the air though Misty cried out from the sudden movement, holding onto his shoulder tightly with one hand and the other curled around Togepi. "Relax Misty, Charizard will never let you fall." I promised her. "We've done loads of crazy stunts together for training, sometimes I've even jumped off his back and he had to dive down to catch me."

"What?! Are you crazy?" Misty demanded and I laughed as we soared into the air, Charizard decided to take a little detour over the forest.

"Probably, but hey, it keeps him on his toes. Right Charizard?" He gave a roar of agreement then smoothly banked down, beginning to spiral. Misty gasped and gazed out at the world from the air, admiring the forest and the sky as it all spun around her dreamily.

"This is amazing. You fly up here all the time?" She asked and I nodded my head.

"As often as I can. It's a great place to be, the sky. You should see it by sunset and by night. Now that's when it really starts to feel magical."

"Will you take me flying tonight? I'd love to see it." Misty asked and I smiled.

"Sure! What do you think Charizard? Shall we show Misty just how amazing flying can be?" I questioned and he nodded his head. Just then we heard a cry of alarm and we all looked down to see Ash flailing his arms, unable to keep himself steady as he lost his balance on the tree bridge.

"Oh no! Ash!" Misty yelled and instantly Charizard and I were thinking as one.

"Dive!" Charizard dove down as Ash slipped off the bridge, yelling as he descended down into the depths with Pikachu calling out to him on the bridge with worry. Charizard shot past him, wings tucked in before stretching them out and arching back up, easily catching Ash in his arms to then fly out of the canyon.

"So you sure showed us Ash." I told him as Charizard held him by the leg. "And yet it was us wimpy girls who had to come rescue you." Misty giggled as Ash kicked and struggled slightly.

"I was doing fine without your help! I would have thought of something!" He yelled back but I just rolled my eyes. That's Ash for you, stubborn to the end. Charizard huffed in irritation as Ash continued to struggle so he flew to the other side and dropped him on his head, snorting with amusement as Misty and I dismounted.

"Good work Charizard. Great catch." I said to him and he growled softly, letting me rub his head before I lifted his Pokéball. "Return now and have a good rest." Just then Woodruff and Brock leaped down with Pikachu who instantly sprang into Ash's arms.

"Is everyone alright?" Woodruff asked and we all smiled.

"We're fine. So where next?"

"This way." He directed, leading us into the trees. "It shouldn't take long to reach the Pinsir nest." So we walked along in silence, not wanting our talking to disturb anything that might attack us but after a while I got the sense of something watching us from behind. I think the others felt it to because when we looked around we saw Heracross still following.

"Heracross is still following us."

"It probably thinks the three of us are saps." Misty answered but then Woodruff cut us off in a serious tone.

"Get ready, stay alert, we're almost at the Pinsir's forest now." He told us so we all nodded our heads, though Misty didn't look too impressed.

"Oh that's great. Lots more bug Pokémon." We followed the trail keeping close to Woodruff and constantly kept a sharp eye on our surroundings. We walked for a few minutes and I was surprised at how still and quiet everything was. Nothing really stirred, not even the leaves on the branches as the wind was practically non-existent.

"Up there." I blinked and looked up. "The tallest tree. That's where the Pinsir live." It doesn't look too far from here, I could see it easily and it looks like it's just through these trees here. We stepped forwards with caution, keeping low to the ground then crawled through the bushes to see what was going on.

"Look! Up near the top! It's a giant Pinsir!" Ash whispered excitedly and sure enough there was a massive Pinsir sucking up the sap from the tree, though there was something strange about it. It didn't feel natural, as if it were not really real and only a façade of some kind. Sounds weird, right?

"Wow, I didn't know Pinsir got _that_ big." Misty breathed.

"They don't." I answered for them. "No Pinsir has ever been seen to grow that big before. I've looked through hundreds of reports and documents about Pokémon and Pinsir have always been around the same height. The tallest ever found had grown to be five foot in height whereas the rest are normally around four eleven. This looks more like a robot that's been designed to look like one." Woodruff looked at me with an impressed expression.

"You sure know your stuff." I blushed a little.

"I've studied under some really great people, so I know a little about Pokémon." Turning back to the robot Pinsir the sunlight began to shed onto it, showing its form a little more clearly.

"It appears to be made out of steel." Woodruff mused as Ash and Misty just stared.

"It's a monster!"

"Who would build something that creepy?" She worried but then laughter filled our ears, the kind that made me want to just claw my ears off.

"Prepare for trouble while we're in the woods!"

"Make it double we're up to no good." It's none other than Team Rocket! I should have guessed it would be them making trouble for everyone and everything. But wait, where are they? They haven't shown their faces yet.

"To protect the world from devastation." Jessie announced as she stepped forwards with a light shining behind her.

"To unite all people within our nation." James continued as he too dropped down from a branch with an elegant landing, turning to face us sideways on.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James…"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" The Pinsir robot continued its work on the tree whilst Meowth dropped down from the branch and delivered the finishing touch to the motto.

"Meowth that's right!" We all ran forwards, glaring at Team Rocket as they faced us with smirks.

"Well there's the answer to your creepy question." Ash said to Misty as we all stood our ground.

"So you're the ones responsible for that mechanical Pinsir!" Woodruff accused and Meowth nodded his head proudly.

"That's right. We found this tree and the sticky stuff on it, and when we tried it the stuff tasted great so we're making a million dollar plan come to life. And none of you's is going to ruin our plan!" He yelled at us with a sharp gleam of his claws.

"You willing to bet on that?" I questioned, stepping up to Ash's side. "You're stealing all that sap and driving the Pinsir who live here away into Heracross territory, you're starting a war that could endanger other Pokémon and the trees in both forests unless you stop right now!"

"This is exactly what happens when humans use nature selfishly without thinking about the consequences first." Woodruff agreed and Ash stepped forwards too, itching and ready to battle.

"That's right! The Heracross and Pinsir got along fine until the three of you showed up here!" He yelled at them though the just stood there looking bored. "You come in here sucking up all the sap and throw off the balance of nature!"

"Who cares about that?!" Jessie shouted back, thin eyebrows darting down in a terrifying expression of anger. "The only balance we care about is the balance in our checking account!" She told us as James came to her side.

"This situation is about to get sticky!" The both of them picked up a Pokéball each and threw them forwards together.

"Lickitung, I choose you!"

"Victreebel go!" However the moment James had caught the Pokéball again he ran off into the bushes with laboured breath, diving for cover and hid there, however when he realised Victreebel hadn't followed he slowly popped his head back up. "That's funny, I wonder why Victreebel isn't attacking me." I blinked at him.

"You think Victreebel attacks you?" I questioned him as he came out from the bushes and dusted himself off.

"Well it keeps on trying to bite my head off, of course it attacks me!" I giggled and shook my head.

"No, that's how Victreebel show affection. Your Pokémon really likes you because you really love your Pokémon." I explained to him. "You see, Victreebel is a plant type Pokémon like a Venus flytrap, which catch their pray in their mouths, however numerous studies into Victreebel have found that the way they show affection to their trainer is by anchoring itself to their trainer, almost like their way of kissing someone." I informed him and he blinked, rubbing the back of his head in surprise.

"Gee, thanks. I didn't know that." Suddenly we had Jessie shoving us apart and glaring furiously at James.

"If you've finished with your little chit chat how about you go and stop your Pokémon from having lunch so we can have a real battle!" James shuddered fearfully then ran over to his Victreebel.

"Hey! You're eating up all our profits you yellow bellied sap sucker!" In answer Victreebel turned around and practically swallowed James up to the waist, making him squeal and kick his legs as he tried to get out. "Sorry I didn't mean it, let me go please!" I giggled again, seeing its happy expression.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to lick the twerp not the sap!" Jessie growled at her Lickitung as Meowth looked on with a devastated expression.

"The real Pokémon are out to lunch. This looks like a job for super Pinsir!" He crowed and suddenly the Pinsir turned around to face us, eyes flashing a bright green before it leaped down to the ground with a crash. "This little suck bucket was made for collecting sap but it's a pretty mean crusher in a pinch." Meowth joked and I gulped slightly, stepping back. That thing looked mean and scary, I can see why Misty doesn't like bug Pokémon in this instance.

"I choose you, Bulbasaur!" Ash called, taking his chance first with his bravest little Pokémon. "Razor Leaf attack!"

"Bulbasaur!" Leaves shot out from under his bulb and struck the Pinsir who brushed them off easily, a loud ping singing each time a leaf hit but it had no further effect.

"Bulbasaur thought it could stop our Pinsir by putting its petals to the metal." Meowth crowed snidely as James laughed and Jessie smirked.

"That was a good one." Ash shook the setback off and pointed, not yet ready to give up.

"Hurry Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip!" The vines shot out and coiled around the Pinsir, restraining it from moving and Bulbasaur pulled them taut, keeping his ground steady before whipping them both back at once, spinning the Pinsir around in a perfect pirouette and before it could recover, Ash looked down to Pikachu. "Your turn Pikachu, Thundershock attack!"

"Pika…CHUUUUU!" Pikachu leaped up into the air and sent a powerful shock at the Pinsir but by the looks of things, it wasn't doing any damage. But how? It's made out of metal, right? It should be blowing apart right now!

Pikachu landed and the attack stopped, however the Pinsir's horns began to crackle with electricity, sparking brightly before the bolts shot forwards and struck us instead, filling us with a powerful shock that tingled all over as we yelled.

"That cut those saplings down to size!" Jessie crowed and James punched the air.

"Zap them again! Zap them again!" Meowth laughed, obviously enjoying the a little too much.

"Now we'll show those twerps what it's like to have a real power failure!" The Pinsir began to stomp forwards, aiming straight for us as we remained on the ground, our legs and bodies still too shocked up to move.

"It's coming this way, what do we do?!" Misty panicked but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach Charizard's Pokéball. Before I could out for him, however, I heard a bang and looked up to see Heracross standing in front of us, holding the Pinsir back with amazing power and strength.

"It's Heracross!"

"Alright!" I cheered as I slowly began to regain feeling in my fingers. "Go Heracross!"

"Come on! A mechanical Pinsir should be able to squash Heracross like a bug!" Meowth panicked, working the controls as fast as he could to get his Pinsir moving. The Pinsir grabbed Heracross and began to push it back, forcing its feet to grind up the ground as it refused to take a step back.

Finally I was able to move and I got to my feet along with Woodruff and Ash, who called out encouragingly to the Pokémon who was trying to help us. "Hang in there Heracross!" Suddenly a fresh wave of determination rose over Heracross and he began to push Pinsir back, earning a cheer from us.

"Keep pushing! You're doing great!" Brock called as Heracross continued to win over the Pinsir.

"You're our new hero Heracross!" Misty cheered but Brock turned to her with a frown.

"I thought you hated all the bug Pokémon." But Misty merely smiled brightly.

"Heracross isn't creepy. You go!" I jumped and punched the air, whooping and calling out in encouragement as Pinsir was held back by our new friend Heracross.

"Go Heracross! You show them who owns these woods!"

"Come on guys!" Ash called to us as he made his way forwards quickly. "If we hurry we can take away that robo-Pinsir's sap sucker sack!" Great idea Ash! We raced forwards and worked on detaching the sap sacks whilst Heracross held the Pinsir steady and Team Rocket remained busy arguing.

They argued over who was going to drive the Pinsir, so much so that they began to snatch and grab at the controls, all of them wanting to handle the situation but with everyone grabbing at the joy sticks, they snapped right off just as we got the sap back.

"Alright Heracross, we've got the sap so we're ready to go!" Ash yelled over to Heracross who glanced over his shoulder.

"Heracro?" Lowering down the horn it gripped the Pinsir's legs and slowly began to lift it up, growling as it struggled slightly under the weight. "Hera…cross!"

"You can do it Heracross!" I cheered, watching as it summoned one last scrap of energy and threw the Pinsir up into the air. "Alright!" It flew pretty high and when it crashed back into the ground, the force of the blow made it erupt and blast Team Rocket away, who we could still hear yelling.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Heracross celebrated by showing off its arm muscle, standing upright with pride.

"Heracro!" It nodded its head with satisfaction as we all called out to it.

"Heracross wins the match!"

"You're our hero!"

"Now that was awesome Heracross!" I added, folding my arms before drawing out my notebook and began to make some points about Heracross. Although very docile it was pretty powerful, which meant it would be a very strong ally in a battle. Suddenly I heard rustling in the bushes and I looked to see Pinsir returning back to their tree now that the trouble was gone.

"The Pinsir!"

"Hey, now that Team Rocket's gone the Pinsir are coming back!" Brock smiled with a nod of his head as we watched them climb back onto their tree to feed.

"Well you know what they say. There's no place like home." Misty said and I defiantly agreed, and it looks like the Pinsir do too!

"I guess you're right Misty. The Pinsir won't have to leave their habitat and the Pokémon can live in harmony." Woodruff said, gazing out the Pinsir with gladness in his eyes. I guess being a ranger it's always nice to see a job well done, especially if it means peace and security returning to the Pokémon and their habitat.

We returned to the other nest to make sure the Heracross were okay and it was great to see them already feeding alongside the Butterfree, happily sucking up their dinner. "Now the Heracross and Butterfree can live in peace again, here in their own forest." Ash said, smiling up at a Butterfree as it fluttered by.

"That's right Ash. The trees are safe, the balance has been restored and things are back to the way they should be." Just then I noticed a Heracross approaching us, its little clawed hands laced together as if it were shy of coming too close, however I instantly knew it to be the same Heracross just because of that gesture.

"You were awesome Heracross! You stood up to the Pinsir and everything worked out perfectly." Ash praised warmly.

"You were really brave Heracross, and I take back all the things I said about bug Pokémon being creepy." This made Heracross really happy, smiling at us with a little blush to its cheeks.

"You're a great Pokémon and we'll really miss you." Ash added and Pikachu beamed up at him.

"Pikachu." We all turned and walked away, waving and saying goodbye one last time to Ranger Woodruff and as I turned around, I felt really at peace. So much so that I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, letting all thoughts escape me with it.

With a flash of light I suddenly felt upset and great sadness, enough so that I cried out and tears rushed to my eyes. "Ruby! Ruby what's wrong?" Ash asked, hurrying back to my side and reached out to me. "Hello? Anyone in there?" But all I could feel was the longing to not let these people go. I didn't want them to leave, they had all been so nice and encouraging, made me feel so strong and because of them I'd been able to help save the forest.

Wait…was I…? I was thinking Heracross's thoughts! My mind slowly began to take control, mapping out exactly what was going on. Heracross stepped forwards, looking at me intently as I slowly turned around and faced him, registering each thought and feeling until finally it passed over, leaving me feeling cold and tingly all over as my eyes slid shut slightly and I slumped. "Whoa! Ruby!" Ash caught me, helping me to rest on the ground as he felt my brow. "You're freezing cold Ruby! What happened?"

"That thing that sometimes happens? You know?" I said slowly and he drew back slightly before nodding his head.

"You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Sometimes it leaves an after effect like this but it only takes a minute or so to pass." I explained. "It's just that…I was connected to Heracross." I said to them as Misty and Brock came and stood by us.

"What do you mean? You heard its thoughts?" I nodded my head.

"Or at least, I got impressions of them. He doesn't want us to go." I told Ash, looking at him with a smile. "He wants to follow you."

"Really? You want to come with me Heracross?" He asked, standing up as Woodruff approached.

"Is everything alright?" He questioned, kneeling down to take my hands. "Hmm, you're very cold. Maybe you've come down with something." But already I was feeling stronger so I smiled and shook my head.

"No I'm alright, it was just a dizzy spell." I answered then stood up with Misty and Brock helping me, both of them holding onto an arm as Ash turned to us.

"Hey you guys, Heracross wants to come with us!" He cheered then turned back to face Heracross with a Pokéball in hand. "Alright!" The Pokéball bumped against Heracross and sucked him in before flying back to Ash's hand which he caught easily. "Heracross chose me!" He announced joyously, making the rest of us laugh as I felt myself warm up. "Bye Woodruff! Take care!" He called then practically skipped down the road as we headed on our way.

"So Ruby, how did it happen this time?" Misty asked me and I thought for a moment.

"So far I've figured this much. I can connect with Pokémon's emotions and feelings only when I'm really closely bonded with them, like with Charizard, or when they're really desperate to reach out to someone, like Areodactyl, or when I'm completely calm and empty of thought or any feeling of my own feelings, like in a state of meditation like I was just now and when I was back when the egg reached out to me." I told them as we walked. "I really don't understand any more than that, however it seems when I try to force it or when I connect with a Pokémon that's not naturally close to me, I get an after effect like you just saw."

"You're really weird." Ash told me and I glared at him. "In a good way! I meant what you can do is really weird, you can actually _feel_ what a Pokémon is feeling." I growled at him.

"I didn't ask to be born this way Ash Ketchum! Come back here!" I yelled as he ran off with a yell. "I'll make you feel something you'll never going to forget, a real Ruby Bates Butt Kicking! Get back here so I can strangle you already!" I chased him down but after a while I just gave up. It wasn't worth it.

Besides, I still have that hot sauce that can somehow slip into his dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

**So this chapter is a little shorter but and it's basically a filler just for fun. Enjoy!**

* * *

The bright sunshine made walking a little easier to bear as it was at least very warm. Ever since the deal with the Pinsir and the Heracross we'd travelled for two days, however we still don't seem to have got anywhere.

But then yesterday we did bump into a really nice lady called Rochelle who showed us how she finds amberite. She even let me take some away with me as a trade for one of my evolution stones. It's a good thing I thought to bring plenty with me, so I now had a beautiful amberite bracelet made from little beads which sat snugly on my wrist. Anyway, despite all this. It appeared we were now once again lost and Brock was beginning to twitch in frustration. "Don't tell me. We're lost again aren't we?" Misty sighed so I looked at her.

"In that case, I won't tell you." I answered, sitting down on a rock and Misty whirled around to glare at Ash and Brock.

"This is the last time I trust either of you boys with a map." Ash was looking this way and that, shielding his eyes to try and see further.

"We're not lost exactly." He answered, still looking.

"Oh no, we're not lost, it's just that we don't know where we are." Brock replied sarcastically and I giggled. It was rare you ever heard that tone come from Brock. Misty hung her head despairingly.

"This always happens when Ash is in charge."

"Pika! Pika…" Pikachu agreed as Brock growled.

"It's almost sundown and we're going to be stuck in some spooky forest all night!" Misty blinked, leaning back a little.

"Did you say…spooky?"

"Don't worry guys!" Ash suddenly leaped up with a loud and bright voice. "Come on let's go!" He charged forwards and I sighed before standing up and grabbing his collar, stopping him short before hauling him around.

"Wrong way genius, that's a tree." I told him and he opened his eyes to look where he had just been running towards.

"Huh? Oh right. Thanks Ruby!" He called then rushed off again, this time heading down the road. "Let's go!"

"Go where?!" Misty yelled after him but Ash didn't break pace.

"You'll see! Our troubles will be over in no time!" I glared after him, one hand on my hip.

"I vote we just leave him here." I said and I could tell the others were considering agreeing with me but instead we followed after him, letting him run off some steam until finally, he was walking at a normal pace again. We trekked through the forest, simply following the path that was there though I was pretty certain we were going in circles because that tree root looks very familiar. And to boot, it was dark and the trees were beginning to creep up on me.

"Argh, Ash! Where are we now?!" Misty yelled in a rage, the four of us stuck in a glade without a clue in which direction we should take. I knew I should have just asked Pidgeotto to find us the way out, or ridden Charizard _over_ the forest like I had suggested but no. Ash wanted to go inside to find more Pokémon! That kid will be lucky if he sees the next sunrise.

"Now we're…lost." Yup. He's dead.

"And we're in the middle of nowhere!" Misty continued in her famous temper.

"Everywhere is somewhere." He answered but I merely smacked him on the back of the head so he hit the ground.

"At least most _somewhere_ have a name and a location we can point to on a map to find our way out of it!" I yelled at him. "You had better get us out of this mess genius, because if you don't then I'll feed you to Charizard!"

"Wargh alright! I'll think of something!" He leaped up, waving his hands at me. "Just please don't do that!" Nodding my head I sat down on the floor and waited with my arms crossed, taking deep breaths to calm down.

"I don't like this place…it's spooky…" Misty murmured a little fearfully, looking around at the trees as their shadows grew.

"It's alright Misty, there's nothing to be afraid of." I assured her, folding my legs and closed my eyes to meditate and relax for a minute. Just as I finished speaking a ghostly voice called out spookily, making my spine tingle nervously as Misty shot me a look.

"Nothing to be afraid of, huh?"

"It's…just the wind." I laughed nervously, slowly standing up and Misty quickly moved over to me and we clung to one another. The sound came again and we both gulped and went as stiff as a plank.

"Cut it out! Making those sounds isn't funny!" She yelled at Brock but he turned around and shook his head.

"It isn't me Misty!" Ash growled and clenched his fists, facing the darkness with a brave expression though I could see his knees quivering.

"Who's there? Come on out!" He challenged, but all he got in answer was the spooky and now slightly terrifying voice again. There was a dim glow of light and suddenly the tree nearest us had a face, screaming at is with a jagged expression and we all yelled and grouped together, huddling close for protection.

Now completely freaked we all ran for our lives but the next tree we faced grew features too, glaring down with a large gaping mouth with a new sound like a wail. "Back that way!" I yelled and we all hurtled for a new escape with the same result.

A howl broke through the other noises, the new face even scarier than the last so we changed direction again, trying to find a way out but no matter where we turned all I saw were hideous faces that grew larger and larger, moving forwards to eat us up for a light evening meal.

We all cried out in fear and ran with our eyes shut, planning on just making a break for it but suddenly we were swallowed in red light, making us all stop and slam into one another in our hasty stop.

I gasped and looked around, seeing the trees go back to normal as if nothing had happened at all. Everyone looked around in equal confusion. What had just happened? And where had that light come from? "What was that?" Ash demanded in bewilderment, still slightly shaky from the adrenaline rush we had all experienced.

"It was nothing." Someone said behind and we all whirled around in shock.

"Gary!" Oh great, another Gary rescue to add to the list. This has not been my day, or night!

"Everything you saw and heard was just an illusion." He explained then rubbed the head of a funny looking Pokémon. It looked like a bird but it stood on one foot and it was really round, with brown feathers, little wings and black marked around its glowing red eyes. "Good job Hoothoot."

"Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!" It chirped back and I just stared at it.

"What's a…?" Ash cut himself off and drew out Dexter to listen to what the information was.

"Hoothoot, the owl Pokémon. Hoothoot stands on one leg but uses both eyes to see through even the darkest of night." Dexter explained as the little Pokémon hopped away.

"Ah, it's so sweet." I smiled, walking forwards and kneeling down. "Hi there!" I greeted and it turned its bright glowing eyes on me, forcing me to cover my eyes. "Wow, those are some headlights you got there." I said then let it eat some of my Pokéfood I have for Pidgeotto, which it pecked happily out of my hand.

"Hoo-hoo!" It trilled happily and I giggled.

"Unprepared as usual. Don't you know you have to use a Hoothoot to get through this forest?" Gary asked so I stood up and glared at Ash.

"Well if someone hadn't got us lost, then maybe we wouldn't even be in these woods in the first place!" Suddenly Hoothoot flew up to my shoulder, flapping its little wings.

"Hoo-hoo!"

"Huh? Oh sorry, you weren't finished, were you?" I smiled, all irritation gone as I gave it the last little bits of seeds which he pecked out of my hand.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked Gary as he pulled his eyes away from the Hoothoot. "What happens if we don't?" Gary's expression remained serious, focusing in on Ash as I stepped forwards with Hoothoot still on my shoulder.

"You'll get lost here. Forever."

"Forever?!" Ash and I cried out together before I turned on him.

"Ash Ketchum, this is totally all your fault!"

"My fault? I was the one following the map!" I growled and gripped my hat, flattening it to my head.

"You were reading it upside down!" Exhaling I shook my head slowly, focusing on just calming down. Anger won't solve this, we need to remain calm and think things through carefully.

"But you have a Hoothoot and you're still here in the forest." Misty reasoned smartly. "If you're not lost then how come we caught up with you?" I love Misty so much right now. So Gary, how come _you're_ still here in these giant woods if you're so smart?

"Oh that's easy." He answered. "I've been…busy. I've caught so many Pokémon that I must have lost track of time." Gary explained then lifted his head with a knowing smirk. "You see, that's what makes me a great Pokémon trainer! As soon as I got to this forest I sized up the situation and took action! I realised I needed a Hoothoot and I got one." I arched an eyebrow.

"So long story short, you can't figure out which path to take to get out of here." I translated for him with a chuckle. "Great Pokémon trainer, right?" He glared at me.

"Alright so I may have taken a wrong turn but I have caught loads of Pokémon!" He answered so I just folded my arms and pouted as I looked at him mockingly.

"Oh yeah? How many then?"

"Loads!"

"Specifically." He growled at me.

"Ugh…I don't have time to waste with you losers, I've got to get going." He flicked a hand then made to turn around.

"Just so you know, I'm entering the Johto League." I said before he got away and he whirled around with a shocked expression. "So you'd better watch out, because I'm going to win that trophy."

"What?! No way!" I nodded my head. "Well in that case you'd best get your tissues ready, because _you'll_ be the one who needs them after I'm done wiping you out!"

"Oh yeah? Well you're going to be the one who'll taste my Pokémon's fury because we'll be way better than you are by the time we get to the Johto League!" He stepped closer with a glare, our faces barely four inches apart.

"Your Pokémon won't even be able to look at my Pokémon. You might as well give up now Rubes." This set off the spark. He's been getting away with calling me Rubes for a while now, what's wrong with me? I'm begging to slack off.

"My name is RUBY!" I yelled. "And you're just an arrogant jerk!"

"You're a whiny wimp!"

"At least I don't go around with a bush on my head for hair!"

"At least mine doesn't look like it's been fried!" Point taken. Hey wait, my hair looks crispy still? Oh no! Gary frowned slightly, peering a little closer. "What did happen to your hair?"

"A giant Pinsir robot zapped us." I answered, folding my arms with a huff. "Now, don't you have somewhere to be and more Pokémon to catch?" I asked sarcastically and he smirked.

"Exactly. Come on Hoothoot. Let's go somewhere where the air smells better." I flung my fists down to my side, growling at the insult.

"I hate you Gary Oak!" I yelled after him but he merely flicked out his hand in farewell. Once he was gone I turned around and stomped my foot. "Right, everyone stand back. We're getting out of here so we can get to Violet City and win our first badge!" I decided and everyone instantly stepped back, though Ash looked excited.

"Alright!" Nodding my head I picked up a Pokéball and let it fly.

"Charizard! I choose you!" Charizard appeared with a bright flash and shook out his head, ready to fight though he looked a little confused. "Sorry buddy but no battle tonight, we need to get out of this forest and we can't go through it, so we'll have to try going over it." He nodded his head as I brought out the map and my compass, looking for Violet City.

It was north on the map and I turned around until I was facing north with my compass. "Alright, we need to head that way." I directed. "Everyone climb on."

"How about I ride my Charizard?" Ash suggested and before I could stop him, he'd called his Charizard out. "Go Charizard!" The smaller Pokémon instantly whirled around to face my own Charizard, growling as they locked heads and began to push against one another, growling as they tried to settle on who was the better.

"Alright you guys, break it up!" I clapped my hand and walked between them, making them step backwards. "Let's be serious here, okay? We'll fly out of these woods, find somewhere to camp for the night then head on towards Violet City in the morning. Got it? No fighting, squabbling, growling or glaring whilst you're both out of your Pokéballs. That's final." I iterated and they glared at one another a moment longer before huffing and looking away. "Good, so let's get going."

"Alright! Let's do this!" Ash leaped up onto his Charizard's back, making him jerk forwards and growl in irritation. "Let's fly!" Meanwhile I settled myself onto Charizard's back with Misty and Brock, the three of us comfortable and already lifting off the ground as Charizard flapped his broad wings.

"Come on Ash, quit fooling around!" Misty called down to him as we rose above the trees.

"What are you doing Charizard? You're meant to fly!" Ash said to his Charizard who growled then began to flap his wings. Instantly I realised that his Charizard wasn't used to taking off from the ground with a passanger.

"Well, we'd better give a helping hand Charizard." I sighed and I saw the little smirk that stretched on Charizard's face. He dove down and in one clean sweep, grabbed Ash from Charizard's back.

"Hey what's the big idea?! Let me go Ruby!" He yelled as my Charizard rose up into the sky with him held firmly in his grasp. "Let me down!"

"Just hang on Ash, we're helping you to get a little lift." I said, smiling as Ash's Charizard flew up after us with a roar, furious at being shown up whilst Pikachu sat on his head with a happy beam. "You know, you should really work on your take off." I said to Ash before nodding to Charizard. "You can let him go now."

"What? No!" Too late. Charizard let go of Ash and the three of us watched as he fell down through the sky, tumbling before he landed on his Charizard's back. "Alright!" I chuckled then turned to Charizard.

"Try going higher above the clouds Charizard, I believe we promised Misty to show her what's like to fly really high." Misty held onto me a little tighter as Charizard banked upwards. When we broke through the clouds and into the night sky, all Brock and Misty could do was gasp and stare around them.

"I thought flying at sunset was beautiful, but this is just amazing! It's so magical like you said!" Misty breathed, staring around her in wonder at the billions of stars that gleamed effortlessly around us.

"Wow…I wish I'd asked for a ride earlier. I never knew flying could be this awesome." Brock said as Ash caught up with us.

"Hey guys! Isn't this great?"

"It's brilliant!" Misty called back with a wave. "We should do this more often!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed but as far as I was concerned, everything else spiralled out of focus as I leaned closer and gently rubbed Charizard's neck.

"Let's just take things nice and steady, Charizard. I want them to always remember this moment." I said to him and he nodded his head. Quietly I pulled out my camera and took a photo of Ash flying on his Charizard with Pikachu, smiles plastered on their faces with the stars and moon as a perfect backdrop.

I then turned it around and smiled into the lens, snapping a shot of myself with Brock and Misty before twisting and taking individual shots of their wonderstruck faces, saving them on film before putting it away safely. I'll print them off and add them to the album. But for now…let's just enjoy the flight.


	5. Chapter 5

**Back again everyone, enjoy this next chapter with another one of my favourite Pokemon caught by Ash!**

* * *

Back from my morning jog I returned to find everyone packing up. "Hey guys!" I called ahead and they all looked up and around to see me.

"Hey Ruby, how was your run?"

"Refreshing." I said with a smile, looking down to Bulbasaur and Eevee. "Right guys?"

"Vee!" Eevee nodded her head though she was breathing heavily.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur agreed, settling down for a nap so I giggled.

"Okay you two, I get the message." I told them, kneeling down and rubbed their heads. "It was a great run today, you two are really getting into shape and helping me to do the same! You both take a nice long rest and I won't disturb you until it's time to eat again, okay?"

"Vee Vee!" Eevee answered then leaped up into my arms, licking my face as Bulbasaur joined the attack, leaping onto me and suddenly I had both tongues slathering me all over, making me laugh and giggle as it tickled.

"Hey guys! That's enough! I love you too!" I laughed, picking up their Pokéballs then let them back inside so that I could stand up again. Misty smiled as I approached, wiping myself clean with a towel.

"Your Pokémon really look great Ruby. I think you should take Ash with you tomorrow and start to get him in shape as well."

"Pika?" Pikachu's ears pricked up at this before he smiled. "Pikachu!"

"See Ash? Pikachu agrees with me." Misty said but Ash shook his head and held out a hand.

"No I don't think so. I'm doing fine on my own thank you very much!" He boasted then marched away, already packed and ready to go. I sighed and shook my head as I began to take down the spare clothes from the line I had put up last night to dry them from their wash. I folded them up, put away my sleeping bag then made sure I had everything I needed.

"So are we ready to head off?" Brock asked as he secured his bag.

"I'm ready." I called out then looked over to Misty who stood up, Togepi in arms with her bag on her back.

"Me too! We're all set Brock."

"Alright then, let's go." We set off back on the track, climbing up the hill which turning into a very steep climb. The air quickly became cold so I turned my neckerchief around to keep the back of my neck warmer, looking up as the morning sun continued to rise.

Ash began to slow behind, struggling with the ascent as he puffed for breath, legs starting to turn to jelly. "Come on genius." I smiled, grabbing the scruff of his jacket and helped haul him forwards despite his outcry. "Let's keep those feet moving."

"But it's so much work!" He complained but I wanted to hear none of it.

"If you're struggling that much then you should take my advice and start working out more." I told him firmly. "It'll help build your weak little body up."

"Hey I'm not weak!" He argued then surged forwards in a march, giving the reaction I expected him to. Hey, at least it got him moving. After a while I felt the temperature drop further, pulling a complaint even from Brock, who never complains about anything!

"Boy it sure is freezing up here!" Misty didn't seem so bothered by the cold, probably because she was used to diving headfirst into freezing cold pools no matter the season.

"Oh look, there's even snow on that mountain!" She pointed and I smiled at the picturesque scene, glad to take a moment to breathe it all in.

"That's cool!" Ash agreed, smiling up at the mountain. "It must be just like winter over there!"

"Pika Pika." Pikachu nodded as Ash looked behind him to us.

"Why don't we go see if we can ski?" He suggested and Brock instantly grinned.

"That's a great idea!" He declared then looked up at the sky whilst holding his chin, looking dreamily upwards. "I can see myself now, spending all morning on the slopes…and all afternoon at the lodge." Ten bucks says he's picturing himself at the lodge surrounded by girls. "I think I may have hit on the perfect sport for me! Downhill skiing."

"Oh boy. I think your brain is going downhill." Misty answered wearily as Togepi brightly trilled in her arms.

"Forget skiing!" Ash suddenly said and we all looked at him in surprise. "I've found something that's even better! Just take a look over there." He pointed and instantly I gasped, hands jumping to my face.

"I don't believe it! It's a Chikorita!" Instantly I had Eevee's Pokéball in hand. "I'm catching this one Ash, and you can't stop me!" I began to run forwards but Ash leaped for me.

"No! I want to capture it!" His arms swiped for my legs but I jumped up neatly, grinning as I did.

"Nice try Ash, but you always capture Pokémon! I want to capture this Chikorita because they're so spunky! Just remember how fearless Casey's Chikorita was!" Sure enough this Chikorita and instantly glared at us.

"But I want to catch it! I saw it first!"

"Well I'm battling it first." I answered back with a glare. "If you've got a problem with that then you'll have to deal with it."

"No fair!" Ash leaped to his feet and pointed at the Chikorita. "I'll battle you for the right to battle it so I can capture it!"

"Ssh!" Misty hissed softly. "You're going to scare it away!" She reminded us so I instantly buttoned my lips.

"Uuh I don't think so." Brock said, tapping a finger towards the Chikorita who was beginning to spin the leaf around on its head, eyes levelled and focused on us. "That Chikorita looks like it wants to fight, a really tough cookie."

"Awesome! Chikorita and I were destined for one another." I decided firmly. "I'm the toughest one here, so that settles it!" But Ash didn't back down.

"No way! This isn't fair!"

"Well we can't both catch it!" Meanwhile I heard Misty lean closer to Brock and whisper something.

"It's not backing down a bit!"

"I told you it was tough." Brock returned and Misty looked at him.

"I thought Chikorita were supposed to be sweet." Ash turned to face the Chikorita who still looked just about ready to pounce on us.

"If you ask me there's nothing sweeter than capturing a tough Pokémon." He said. "I choose you, Bulbasaur!"

"Well I choose you, Eevee!" I returned then flinched as she came out with a yawn. "Sorry I broke my promise, but I need your help to capture that Chikorita before Ash does! Okay?"

"Vee!" She nodded her head quickly then leaped into position, standing beside Bulbasuar. Chikorita charged forwards, aiming a Tackle at Bulbasaur. I love it! It's so tough and awesome!

"Go Bulbasaur! Hit it with Vine Whip!" Ash directed.

"Use Quick Attack Eevee!" I countered and Eevee darted forwards. Before Bulbasaur's vines could lay a hit Eevee had knocked Chikorita out of the way but instantly it was back on its feet, glaring before swinging its leaf around and used Razor Leaf at Eevee who dodged easily so it aimed another shot at Bulbasaur.

"It's using Razor Leaf!" Brock called but Ash smirked.

"It's not going to beat Bulbasaur that way!" He said and Bulbasaur let its own Razor Leaf attack cancel out Chikorita's.

"Give up now Ketchum, this Pokémon is mine." I said with a smirk. "Use Swift!" Eevee let a cluster of stars shoot out and they smacked into Chikorita, the powerful hit sending it flying backwards again but still it leaped right back to its feet.

"Not a chance! Bulbasaur!"

"Eevee!" We spoke together. "Tackle attack!" Both Pokémon raced towards Chikorita who looked up in fear. Wait…what was I doing?! Two on one was not fair! "Eevee, Tackle Bulbasaur!" Eevee instantly changed her course of direction and slammed into Bulbasaur, throwing him off course but he turned around and directed a furious rant at Eevee.

"Bulba! Bulbasaur Saur!"

"Hey no fair! That was a sneak attack!" Ash yelled at me but I shook my head.

"Ash think about this, we're being totally unfair on Chikorita. Two against one is not a proper battle, it's just being bullies." I said to him. "We need to stop this right now."

"No way! I want to catch that Chikorita and if you're not going to even try then you lose!" He crowed then turned back to the battle. "Pokéball go!" Chikorita turned to face it evenly, unafraid and when it got close enough, smacked it back at Ash with its leaf. "Huh?" He blinked as he caught it. "It's tougher than I thought."

"Ash stop it already!" I said, looking with worry to the Chikorita who could barely stand. "We've really hurt it!" But Chikorita used Vine Whip, smacking Bulbasaur on the head before he could even move to dodge.

"Hey!" Ash growled then glared at me. "It's tougher than you think, just leave us alone and let me catch it Ruby!" He returned Bulbasaur to his Pokéball with a slight smile. "You did a great job, now you deserve a rest." I tried to move forwards to try and speak to him again but he just flung out a hand and pointed to Chikorita. "You may have got lucky against Bulbasaur, but your luck is about to run out Chikorita! I choose you, Charizard." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Come on Eevee, best get out the way." I sighed and she smiled at me before leaping into my arms.

"Vee! Eevee Vee!" I stood and watched as Charizard stomped on the ground, making Chikorita flail its legs as it was thrown up but then it glared, once again focused. It charged forwards with a determined expression, however the effect was completely ruined when Charizard folded its arms then lifted a foot to press it against Chikorita's head, stopping it in its tracks. Oh that's just mean.

"This one's pretty tricky Charizard, use your Flamethrower attack!"

"Chika!" Chikorita smirked as Charizard roared, summoning up his Flamethrower but Chikorita used its Vine Whip to grab Charizard's other leg then dragged it from underneath so Charizard fell flat on his back and Ash got a full taste of burn medicine. Oh my goodness…I totally love this Pokémon!

"Hey!" Ash complained, a little singed around the edges. "Don't use it on me!" Charizard stood up and scratched his head in confusion, unsure of what just happened. Chikorita spun its leaf and sent a Razor Leaf attack at Charizard, still not giving up. "Burn those leaves with your Flamethrower Charizard!" Ash called and Charizard obeyed. Well it looks like since I last saw them Charizard and Ash have really grown to respect one another. It's an improvement at least.

"Tackle it now!" Ash directed once the leaves were out of the way and Charizard flew forwards at an alarming speed but Chikorita only smiled and used Vine Whip on Charizard's head, making him flinch and close his eyes. "Agh!"

"What an upset! Charizard is heading for a fall!" Brock yelled and instantly I was standing upright and paying proper attention, watching with care. Suddenly Chikorita was dragged back, its vines snagged on Charizard and it cried out in alarm.

"This looks bad!" Misty gasped.

"They're going to crash right into that mountain!" I let Eevee leap to the ground and I was already racing forwards but there was nothing I could do fast enough. Both Charizard and Chikorita plummeted into the hard rocks, making the entire cliff tremble before they slumped to the ground and were perfectly still.

"Charizard!" I heard Ash yell but then his Pokémon began to sit up, rubbing his head but otherwise okay. "Charizard! Are you okay?" I skidded to a halt and scooped up the Chikorita, Eevee at my side as she whined softly with worry.

"Vee?"

"You were great Charizard, return!" I wanted to be angry. I wanted to be angry at Ash, because he'd done this to Chikorita, because he just wouldn't give up but also, I wanted to be angry at myself because I'd been too stubborn not to back down when I should have. But I knew it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just this cute, spunky little Pokémon was just too tough and too spirited to run away. "Hey, is it okay?"

"No, it's in bad shape. We need Nurse Joy right now!"

"This way!" Brock said and I followed him down the path, racing with a fainted Chikorita in my arms. Thankfully it wasn't far, all we had to do was follow the path back down the mountain and it was right on the road side.

"Just keep calm and relax Chikorita, you'll be okay." I promised as she blinked and looked up at me. "We'll make sure you come out stronger and better than ever before!" We raced into the Pokémon Centre, startling Nurse Joy at the desk but immediately she spotted Chikorita.

"What happened?"

"This Chikorita needs your help right away Nurse Joy!" I called, gasping for breath. "It's hurt real bad!"

"I'll take good care of it, don't worry." She promised, taking the Chikorita from my arms. "Chansey! I have an emergency that needs treating right away, please prepare the theatre." Nurse Joy then hurried off with the Chikorita in her arms, not wasting a second longer.

"I can't believe it. It fought so hard even when it had no advantage to still come out wanting to battle." Misty said quietly. "Just the way it looked at you, you could tell it wasn't going to back down."

"Yeah, it would be a perfect Pokémon for either Ash or Ruby. But after today I don't think either one will want to capture it now." He was right. I felt terrible and partly responsible. I sat on a chair with my head hung low, Eevee sitting beside me and trying to cheer me up but all her usual tricks didn't work.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." Ash said to me, taking the seat on my other side. "If there's one thing I learned, it's that that little Chikorita isn't going to go down without a fight. It'll be fine."

"I know that, I just feel bad that we did this to it." I answered, giving a deep sigh.

"Vee?" Eevee wriggled her way onto my lap and I curled my arms around her, hugging into her soft fur for comfort. "Eevee Vee…" She said to me, tail flicking across my lap as she gently licked my face. "Vee Vee."

"Thanks Eevee." I smiled then giggled as she yawned. "You take a long rest now. I'll be sure to ask Nurse Joy if she'll give you a check-up before we go." I said then returned her to her Pokéball. Suddenly I saw the red light die out and we all leaped to our feet, running over to Nurse Joy as she emerged from the room.

"How's Chikorita?" Ash asked as we all crowded together.

"Chikorita will be fine." Nurse Joy assured us and I instantly exhaled with relief.

"That's great!" Suddenly Brock was standing in front of us, blocking the way as he took Nurse Joy's hands.

"Your hands, they're so small and soft. I bet they're also warm and caring. Dare I ask, but would these kind and gentle hands impart their gentle loving care on my humble Pokémon?"

"Oh of course! Caring for Pokémon is what I do." She answered unwittingly.

"And maybe then you could also heal my aching…" Quickly the three of us leaped in front of him and pushed him out the way before he could embarrass us any further.

"Uh could you look after my Pokémon too Nurse Joy?" Misty asked quickly as we all smiled up at her.

"And mine too!" Ash said as Nurse Joy took a step back.

"I'd be happy to, now let's see, who wants to go first?" Now that's a very good question, only thing is it received a complicated answer of all of us wanting to be seen first. Once our Pokémon were all taken away to be healed, Nurse Joy let us into the room where Chikorita was resting to check up on it. "I've seen lots of Chikorita just like this one. The Chikorita around here are famous for being stubborn and battling opponents much bigger, stronger opponents even when they know there's no way of winning." If I were a Pokémon, I would totally be a Chikorita.

"And so they end up here in the Pokémon Centre?" Misty asked and Nurse Joy nodded her head sadly.

"They just battle until they can't battle anymore. It's really very sad."

"You have to kinda admire its spirit though." Ash answered gently as we all looked down at the sleeping Pokémon. It began to twitch, groaning and flinching as it starting having a nightmare, gritting its teeth before whimpering. "Ah! Nurse Joy what's happening?"

"It's having a nightmare, don't worry, it'll pass soon and the most important thing for it now is to let it rest." Nurse Joy informed but I was already unslinging my bag and pulled out Gary's gift to me.

"I can make dreaming a little easier, don't you worry Chikorita." I said with a wink, placing the flute to my lips then began to play a soft, mellow tune which flowed easily into sound. Almost immediately I got the effect I wanted, a slumbering, peaceful Chikorita who smiled in its sleep and curled up to be cosier.

"Wow, that's amazing Ruby." Nurse Joy said to me as I continued. "You have a talent for playing that flute."

"Thank you." I said as I finished. "I've been experimenting with tunes and pitches and I seem to get different effects from it depending on what I play. I'm so lucky to have it, I can't wait to start trying out new things with it too!"

"Where'd you get it?" Misty asked innocently but I blanched slightly, giving a nervous laugh as I rubbed my head.

"I uh…um…Gary." I answered finally, sighing. "Gary gave it to me."

"What?! Gary actually gave that to you?" Ash asked in shock but I quickly pressed a finger to my lips and hushed him, gesturing over to Chikorita.

"Yes, for your information, Gary did! Someone gave it to him but he didn't want it so he gave it to me, big deal! He probably thought it was junk anyway." I excused, putting it back in my bag. "Maybe we should leave Chikorita alone for now. I think we're making too much noise." I said just as sirens began to wail. "Huh?"

"Yes, good idea. Chikorita needs to rest now." Suddenly the doors burs open and two doctors came running inside.

"Alright stand back! Coming through! We're here to take this Chikorita to our special intensive emergency care unit." The man said in fast, jumbled up words as we all stared at him.

"But how did…"

"This is a critical condition." The woman cut Nurse Joy off rudely and I glared at her. "We don't have time to explain!"

"Huh?"

"Let's go!" They quickly wheeled Chikorita out of the care room though Nurse Joy called out after them.

"Excuse me?" We followed after them. Something didn't add up. How come they knew about Chikorita and her condition? And didn't Nurse Joy literally just say Chikorita was going to be fine? "I haven't seen you two before, where are you from?" Nurse Joy asked as we got outside.

"We're from the team that causes trouble." The woman said as they turned around. Wait, don't I know that hair from somewhere?

"I hope you're insured because we make it double!" The man answered and with a flash, their costumes were ripped away to reveal the Team Rocket uniform.

"To protect the world from…"

"I knew it was you two!" I yelled. "Give Chikorita back right now!" Jessie's face twitched uncontrollably, staring in anger before she roared down at me.

"How dare you interrupt me twerp! Can't you see I'm in the middle of reciting our beautifully flawless Team Rocket motto!" I arched an eyebrow.

"Really? Because I was hoping you'd be kind of done with it by now." I shook my head. "That's not the point! Give Chikorita back right now!" I leaped forwards and both Jessie and James gulped as I raced for the doors to try and get to Chikorita.

"Hurry Meowth, get us out of here!" Jessie yelled before leaping into the passenger seat.

"Wheezing Smog attack!" James directed and before I could grab Chikorita, Weezing spewed out a thick black smog which left me choking for fresh air, tears streaming down my face as I failed to see what was where.

"We can't let them get away with this!" Ash yelled and raced forwards.

"Ash wait!" Misty called, coughing on the smog but I was already racing after Ash.

"Yeah, wait for me!" We ran together after the van, watching as the van began to snake its way up the path.

"We'll climb over that hill and get ahead of them, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed so I picked up the pace.

"We'd better step on the gas then, let's hurry!" We bolted forwards, racing at full pelt as we climbed up the hill as fast as our feet would carry us. I broke through the brushes first, clearing the way before stopping at the cliff edge to watch as the van drove straight towards us.

"Now we're going show Team Rocket we're just as tough as Chikorita. You with me Ruby?"

"All the way Ash." I said with a breathless smile, lifting my fist and punching him gently on the shoulder. "Let's go!" Together we took the leap and with a yell, we hit the roof of the van. Ash grabbed onto one of the sirens and I anchored my foot onto the other, gripping onto Ash's jacket for ground as I grit my teeth. "Woah that was scary!" I gasped. "Let's not do that again!"

"Just hang on tight Ruby!" Ash called back as we were driven higher up into the mountains. It got colder and I began to shiver as snow drifted around us, landing dreamily on the ground in a perfect white blanket, though I wish I was wrapped up in a blanket of my own.

"Look, they're starting to slow down." I said to Ash, looking up ahead. "They must be stopping at that lodge, we'd better jump off before they see us."

"Right, but how?" I arched an eyebrow with a blank expression.

"Like this." I shoved him off without another word. Ash yelped and landed on the snow with me leaping off the roof after him and landing in a crouched position, glancing over my shoulder before gabbing Ash and hauling him over into the bushes. "Come on before they see us!"

"Hey, that could have hurt!" Ash said to me but I merely smiled.

"It's a fresh blanket of snow, Ash, and about a foot deep! You were fine." I said as I watched Team Rocket take Chikorita inside. We scouted the place out, hiding in the bushes as we watched the lodge carefully.

"Now, we gotta come up with a strategy." Ash said slowly.

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked in his sweet little voice as Ash thought deeply.

"I know! I'll have Charizard surprise them with a Flamethrower attack!" Ash reached behind him for his Pokéballs but groped at thin air.

"No luck Ash, we left our Pokémon with Nurse Joy, remember?" I said to him, turning to face both Ash and Pikachu with a deep exhale. "Okay, I think we can take them. We have Pikachu still and he's one who can pack an awesome punch. Right Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" He nodded his head, electricity crackling at his cheeks so I smiled.

"Alright then, follow me!" I stood up and raced over to the door, preparing to barrel through but then I heard Jessie's voice though it was fairly muffled by the door.

"Now here's a copy of our standard contract. There's no need to read it, just sign right here on the dotted line." She laughed.

"Don't worry, if you can't write then a footprint is legally binding." James added and Ash looked at me with alarm before we raced for the door.

"Don't do it Chikorita it's a dirty trick!" He called out. "Team Rocket, prepare for trouble!" I leaped up into the air, spinning around and with a crack of my foot to the door it burst open off its hinges, falling to the ground as Ash and I stood in the white background of snow, side by side and looking seriously angry at Team Rocket.

"On second thought, make that double." I continued, smirking finally as I placed my hands on my hips as Jessie and James stared at us in blind bewilderment.

"To protect the world from…devastation?" Jessie began, already set on autopilot.

"To unite all people within our nation." James continued as he stepped forwards, staring at us as I lifted my finger and continued with my own twist.

"To uphold the truths of friendship and love!"

"To extend our reach to galaxies above." Ash added as we turned back to back, arms crossed as we mirrored one another.

"Ruby!"

"Ash!"

"Together we'll protect all that is right!" I said, arching my eyebrow at Jessie as she clenched her fists and growled at us under her breath.

"Surrender now, because it's time to fight." Ash finished and Pikachu leaped forwards with a flip then spread his arms.

"Pi Pikachu!" Personally I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. Ash and I are totally in sync and we just rhymed together! That has to be a point to us against Team Rocket, right?

"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth added, also unable to hold back his part in the now trademarked motto but Jessie shoved him back down.

"How dare you bangle our motto!" She yelled at us, enraged by our cheek. Hey, we're kids! What can I say?

"That is copyrighted material!" James agreed as we picked up our ammo.

"You three need to cool off!" Ash declared as he and Pikachu both held a snowball.

"Yeah!" I agreed. "Cool off and chill out!" Strike one, two and three! You're all out! Sweet! I think Casey would be proud.

"Quick Pikachu, go get Chikorita!" Pikachu sprang forwards and faced Chikorita to quickly explain things.

"Pika! Pika Pika Pikachu!" With that he turned and they both ran out to us, making me smile.

"Alright! Come on let's get out of here!" I waved a hand at Ash but before we could turn around Meowth had picked up a remote.

"They won't get away!" Huh? What is that thing? What does it do? However when Meowth pressed it and nothing happened I smirked.

"Looks like you're all getting a little cold fingered for this." I said to them but then Pikachu called out.

"PIka Pi!"

"Pikachu! What's the matter?" We both ran outside to find both Chikorita and Pikachu trapped, collared around the middle tied together by a rope. "Pikachu! Chikorita!" Ash called as he ran for them but then Meowth pressed the button again and another claw shot out from under the snow and anchored itself around him.

"Ash! No!" I yelled and leaped onto the snow.

"Not so fast twerpette!" Meowth growled and I heard the shift of snow, the rush of air and instantly I whirled around, sensing the object as it came from behind me. I flicked out my leg and swiped the belt aside, knocking it into the snow with a smirk.

"You'll have to be faster than that to get me." I said then turned to Ash. "Just hold on Ash, I'm coming!" I tried to break it open with my bare hands but it wouldn't budge. "No good, we'll just have to run, hurry!" I called and they all nodded their heads.

"Come on you two!" Ash yelled and both Pikachu and Chikorita raced forwards, however there was one small problem. With as not moving fast enough and the three of them all being tied together by the rope, they didn't quite manage to run off in the same direction.

Ash lost his balance and fell backwards with no control over his feet and his weight pulled the Pokémon with him. "Ash! Pikachu! Chikorita!" I yelled then jumped after them, surfing down the slope as Ash and the Pokémon managed to roll themselves into a snowball, rolling down and over the hills with me following as close behind as I could, having to race up the next hill to slide back down it on the other side.

"Ash!" I called out again as I watched them fly down a seriously steep slope only to be tossed off at the edge of a cliff and be brutally slammed into a tree. Gasping for breath I jumped down, landing in a thick pile of snow. "Hold on Ash!"

"To what?" He demanded as he hung from the tree by the rope. Only a moment later it snapped, landing all three of them to the ground with a yell and the force shook off some of the snow from the branches above, covering them in a fresh mound.

Just as I raced over I heard the sound of a snowmobile coming closer and I guessed it would be Team Rocket. "Stay there, someone's coming!" I called and dove behind a tree, scuffing my tracks quickly to hide them before blending in out of sight.

Sure enough they passed us by, squabbling with one another but none the wiser to our presence. I watched them leave then exhaled with relief, glad it was finally over. "Okay guys, it's safe." I assured them as I approached the mound again.

First to pop up was Pikachu who blinked, shook out his fur then beamed up at me. "Pikachu!" I giggled then watched as Chikorita and Ash appeared, covered in snow and looking very sodden.

"Hey! That was kind of fun wasn't it?" Ash said and I laughed, gripping his hands to help him stand up.

"Fun? Maybe if we cut out the near death experience! Were any of you hurt?" I asked but Ash shook his head.

"Nah, we're all in one piece and that's all that matters. Come on! Let's get back to the Pokémon Centre to warm up." Music to my ears.

"Come on Chikorita, I'll make you some special cookies!" I promised then began to trudge through the snow. We climbed up the opposite way Team Rocket had went, which was down. However when we got to the top we still didn't have any idea of which way to go.

"Okay." Ash sighed, trying to peer further outward. "Now which way should we go?"

"Chika!" Chikorita bounded forwards before either of us could catch her.

"Hey wait!" Ash tried to move too quickly and this time, ploughed into me as we fell to the ground and slipped down the slope.

"Ash Ketchum! You are so dead!" I yelled as we slid down the sharp descent then crashed at the bottom, Ash's bony elbow digging into my back as he flattened me. "You are lucky I'm too cold to even move right now." My teeth clattered together as we both stumbled to our feet. "Where'd Chikorita go?"

"I don't know but I can't see it anymore." Ash sighed. "Better keep moving. It's starting to snow." Oh great, just what we needed.

"In that case, we should find shelter." I said and began to look around me. "Look, there's a cave over there. I'll grab some wood, you just hurry and get Pikachu inside before he freezes." I said and Ash nodded his head.

"Right, come on Pikachu." I stopped to find as much dry wood as I could, which wasn't much, barely a few sticks but it was enough to light a fire. I just wish I had Charizard with me to fly us back _and_ keep us warm. I shook off all the snow I could before going towards the back of the cave where Ash and Pikachu sat.

"How're we going to light it?" Ash asked but I smiled.

"You forget Ash Ketchum, my name is Ruby Bates! And what am I known for?" I questioned then answered for him, seeing as he had a blank expression on his face. "For having everything!" I pulled out my emergency tool kit, picked up the magnesium stick and striker before setting to work with some kindling I had spare.

In no time at all I had a fire going and we huddled close to it, keeping back the chill as we kept together to share body heat as well. I was tired but I forced myself to stay awake, knowing it was dangerous to fall asleep when too cold.

"I wonder if…Chikorita's doing okay out there." Ash said, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. It's getting pretty heavy." I said to him. "Could Chikorita really withstand a blizzard like this? Something tells me no." After a few seconds it sunk in. Chikorita could be in danger out there, it could be stuck in the storm!

"I gotta find Chikorita!" Ash declared, leaping to his feet. "You two stay here in case Brock and Misty come looking for us." Ash said with a smile then raced for the entrance.

"Ash wait!" I called, getting to my feet and rooting through my bag. "You'll need this." I said and handed it to him. "It's a flare light. If you get stuck or you find Chikorita, use it to beacon yourself and someone will see it. I'll wait here with another so you can find your way back." I told him nervously. "Just be careful and try and head as straight as you can. That way you'll be able to make it back here a lot easier."

"Thanks Ruby. I will." He assured me, taking the light then ran out into the storm. "I'll be back!" and then he was gone. The blizzard was so thick I couldn't see him after he'd taken five steps away from the cave. I just hope these torches work. They should do because they were extra powerful, I'd made sure they were when I bought them.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked at the mouth of the cave, standing there with me so I looked down and smiled to him.

"Don't worry. Ash'll be fine. If there's one thing I know about Ash, it's that he always finds his way back in time for dinner." I laughed. "All he has to do is follow his stomach."

"Pikachu." He nodded his head then leaped up onto my shoulder, snuggling close so I stepped a little further back into the cave to keep us warm then began to flash the light in blips to signal to Ash or anyone else who was around.

We waited for a while, how long I wasn't too sure, but I was beginning to grow worried. Just when worry was starting to turn into panic, I saw a light flashing in the distance, bright red against the snow. "Alright Ash!" I beamed with laughter, switching on the light and waving it for him to see and instantly the light turned around to face us.

Ash slowly emerged through the blizzard, carrying Chikorita in his arms and I waved. "Way to go Ash!" I cheered. "You found Chikorita!"

"Yeah, we're both okay, aren't we Chikorita?" He said, looking down at her happily and she beamed up at him.

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed as Ash joined us at the back of the cave and we both took off our jackets to curl up under them with the Pokémon to keep us all close and warm, all of us also huddled inside my sleeping bag for extra warmth.

"There, this'll keep us all warm!" Ash smiled as he put one arm around me and I smiled, taking off my hat to untie my bandanna and put it around Chikorita.

"Here you are Chikorita, that'll warm you up a little faster from being out in the cold so long." I said to her and she beamed up at me sweetly.

"Chika!"

"Maybe tomorrow the snow will stop and we can head back. In the meantime, let's all get some sleep, okay?" Ash suggested and I nodded my head.

"Sounds like a good idea." I agreed, stifling a yawn. "Goodnight you three, sleep well." I said then closed my eyes. It didn't take long to fall asleep, I just hope the snow stops soon because to be honest, Ash wasn't the comfiest of pillows.


	6. Chapter 6

**And another one :)**

* * *

When I awoke the next day I turned towards the entrance to find it completely blocked up with snow. "Hey guys wake up! Let's go see if it's stopped snowing." I said, shaking Ash awake and he groaned.

"Five more minutes." He groaned but I whacked his head to get him going.

"Wake up!"

"Wargh okay! I'm awake!" He shook his head to shake out the effects then smiled down at Pikachu and Chikorita as they remained curled up in his arms. "Hey you guys, you both sleep alright?"

"Pikachu!"

"Chika." Chikorita nodded her head then snuggled back closer to Ash. Wow, it seems she's quite taken with him. Yawning and stretching I picked up my jacket and shrugged into it then rolled up my bag.

"I'm sure glad you're always prepared Ruby, you're the greatest." Ash said to me and I nodded my head.

"I know." I shrugged then followed him to the entrance where we pushed our way through to find bright, beautiful sunshine and a glorious new morning.

"Hey! Looks like the snow storm is finally over!" Ash laughed then turned back into the cave. "It's safe to leave now! Let's get back to the Pokémon Centre, come on!" Chikorita and Pikachu bounced out of the cave and together we head out to find our way down.

Suddenly I heard a huge roar and I turned to the sky with an elated gasp. "Charizard! Is that you?" Another roar answered and suddenly I could see him flying towards us with Pidgeotto, leading the way for Nurse Joy and the others.

"Ash! Hey Ash!"

"Ruby! Pikachu!" Misty cried out and waved happily as they spotted us.

"Chikorita!" Nurse Joy said with surprise as they followed Ash's Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Misty's Psyduck. Charizard and Pidgeotto flew down closer and I laughed again, feeling so glad to see them.

"We've looked everywhere for you! Are you guys okay?" Misty asked as they got closer.

"Yeah! We're just great!" Ash yelled back just as Charizard landed and Pidgeotto flew a circle around me, fluttering before my face so I could reach out and hold her.

"Pidgeotto! Charizard! I'm so glad to see you all!" I exclaimed, hugging her to me as she rubbed my face with her beak, chirping happily then flew up to Charizard's shoulder as he lowered his head and let me grab on to hug him tightly. "Thanks for coming to find us, you two are the best!" In answer Charizard stuck out his tongue and slathered it all over me, making me giggle as I got a fresh taste of his affection. "Yup! Definitely the best!"

"Well come on you two, let's get you back to the Pokémon Centre to warm up." Nurse Joy said as she clapped her hands. "And we'll make sure Pikachu and Chikorita are alright as well.

"Sounds good to me. Come on you guys! There's a hot chocolate waiting for me with my name on it!" I said with a bright smile and raced off the way the others had come just as I heard Ash's stomach grumble.

"Wait for me! I want a hot chocolate too!" He called but paused to smile at Chikorita. "Come on Chikorita, I'll race you!"

"Chika!" She beamed then ran after Ash as he led the way, sliding down the slope as the others hurried to keep up with us. I hadn't realised how cold I was until I had had a nice hot bath. My body tingled all over, still not yet warm on the inside so I quickly downed some hot chocolate and fresh cookies I had whipped up with Nurse Joy's permission whilst she carried out checks on Pikachu and Chikorita, making sure they hadn't been hurt by the blizzard's cold.

I brought them out to share, one half for humans and the other for Pokémon which I shared with everyone. "Enjoy!" I beamed, letting everyone munch them down at their own discretion whilst I sat with Dratini and Eevee on my lap, curled up and simply happy to have me back and Bulbasaur at my side, taking a nice nap.

Pidgeotto stood at the chair's head over my shoulder, keeping a close eye on me though she chirped happily and continuously rubbed her head into mine, letting me know how glad she was I was safe and I answered by feeding her crumbs of cookie I broke up for her.

Charizard kept an eye on everyone, having to bow his head but he refused to go back into his Pokéball when he knew there were cookies about so I didn't rush him, letting him sit down behind me and blow hot air down on us which was really welcome after all that snow.

"Nurse Joy!" Ash said as he noticed her enter with Pikachu and Chikorita, the both of whom ran over to him and he welcomed them with open arms.

"Both Pokémon are fighting fit and ready to go. They're both very tough so I don't have any trouble letting them both go today." Nurse Joy told us with a smile as she looked over our Pokémon. "I must say, these have to be the healthiest, best kept Pokémon I have ever seen. You've done a wonderful job in raising them, good job all of you!"

"Thanks Nurse Joy but we owe it all to Brock." I said. "He's the one who taught us what to feed our Pokémon to keep them healthy on the inside and out." Brock blushed as Nurse Joy smiled with a tinkling laugh.

Once all the Pokémon had finished their cookies and Ash had wolfed down the last few of his, we returned them all to their Pokéballs and head out to continue our journey. We stopped at the bottom of the steps to say goodbye to Nurse Joy, though I could tell Brock wasn't too worried about leaving quickly.

"It was a great pleasure to meet you Nurse Joy." Brock said to her with a bright smile. "If you ever need a Pokémon breeder, don't hesitate to call me!"

"And Chikorita." Ash said, looking down to the little Pokémon with a soft smile and tone. "You try not to be so stubborn from now on, okay?" He told her before standing upright. "See you Nurse Joy!"

"I hope we meet again." Brock added so I turned him around with a giggle.

"Come on Brock, let's get this show back on the road!" All too eager to get moving I sped things up a little. "Bye Nurse Joy! Thanks for taking care of my Pokémon!" I waved as the others all said goodbye too.

"It was nice meeting you, buh bye now!" Nurse Joy smiled as she waved, seeing us off as we set back on the road.

"Chika…" Suddenly I felt the flash of heartbreak and overwhelming fear of loss tumble through my mind, startling me to leap up into the air and grip my head.

"Ruby! You okay?"

"Yeah! I'm fine." I said, quickly filling my head with my own thoughts before turning to see Chikorita racing towards us, calling out despairingly. "Chikorita?" She leaped easily into Ash's grip, rubbing her head into his leg as she hugged herself to him.

"What's the matter Chikorita?" How does he do it? He seems to be picking up Pokémon left right and centre!

"Chika, Chika, Chika Chika." Chikorita answered then waved her leaf in front of Ash's face gently, emitting a radiant aroma which smelled of beautiful flowers.

"That smells really nice." Misty said as she breathed it in.

"Sure does." Ash agreed and I inhaled it slowly, enjoying the sweet scent of its fragrance as Nurse Joy approached us.

"Looks to me that Chikorita wants to come along with you and your friends." She told Ash who looked back down at Chikorita as she nuzzled into him. "Chikorita could really use a trainer like you to teach it not to be so stubborn."

"Yeah maybe you're right." Ash said with a smile then looked down again to the adorable love struck Pokémon. "You wanna come with me Chikorita?" I laughed as Chikorita climbed up onto Ash and kissed his face, quickly taking a snapshot with my camera at the adorable little scene. I can't wait to print all these off.

"Pika!" Pikachu squealed happily as Ash leaped up and spun around with Chikorita, holding her to him in one arm to salute with a victory sign with the other hand.

"Alright! Chikorita is my new Pokémon!"

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed and we all laughed. That Ash, he really knows how to catch them.


	7. Chapter 7

"Alright you guys, we're almost at Violet City, so you know what that means! Time to get our first gym badge!" I called, bouncing up and down as I faced all my Pokémon. "Now, I'm not sure which of you'll I'll be using to battle with as I don't yet know what gym type it is, but I know that no matter what, we _all_ need to be ready! So let's go! Punching one, two, one, two, one two!" I said, starting everything off with punching my fists expertly forwards.

Bulbasaur used his whips to hit the ground in time with my beat whilst Charizard mirrored my movements. Pidgeotto flew up into the air and shot a Razor Wind from each wing in time with my counting whilst Dratini and Eevee bounced from side to side, working on their movements which I was glad to see where beginning to get pretty good. "That's it! Keep up the good work! One, two, one, two!"

"Wow, Ruby's already psyched up." Misty said as she and Brock looked over at my workout session.

"Yeah, she's been training really hard for this ever since we arrived here." Brock said. "Though I can't say the same for someone else." I glanced over to Ash who was bathing in the morning sun, humming under his breath happily with Pikachu taking a nap at his side. Too bad, his loss!

"Okay that was great, now everyone pay attention." I said and they all stepped back into line with a nod of their heads and saying their names to signal they were listening. "It's important to be ready for this battle physically but also mentally, so what I'm going to do now is meditation with you all, okay? I'll show you. It's just like any other time we've relaxed a little only this time, I want you to really focus on your inner chi." I explained, sitting down and crossing my legs.

My Pokémon did the same, sitting down and watched as I curled my fists and pressed them together whilst closing my eyes. "Try and hear the wind, let it guide your breathing so you are one with the world. Let all other thoughts drift from your mind…pay no attention to anything on your exterior…let it all go…" I said in a relaxing tone, emptying my mind of all thought as my Pokémon did the same.

We meditated together, focusing on harnessing our minds so that we were mentally ready for our upcoming battle. There's nothing worse than being too pumped up for a battle and making all textbook mistakes. It'll only put a downer on all the hard work we've done over the last couple of days. "You're doing great everyone, keep focusing. Let all your tension flow out of your body on the exhale." I said. "Breathe in." Everyone took a deep breath and I held it for a moment before exhaling. "And breathe out…" Again they copied and I sensed them all become even more relaxed.

I heard the click of a camera and instantly I knew Ash had got a hold of it again. "Hey Ruby! What you doing?" Ash pestered at my side by I ignored him, despite him taking numerous pictures with my camera.

"Just ignore everything…listen to your inner voice…and not the little pest who is waving a hand in front of my face." I said and Ash pulled back his hand.

"That was creepy. How did you do that?" He asked but I merely smirked ever so slightly.

"Ash, if you're not going to do any training of your own at least let Ruby get on with hers in peace!" Misty hissed, dragging him away by the collar.

"I don't need to do any training, my Pokémon and I are all great just the way we are!" He said proudly before sitting down for breakfast. "Wow Brock, this is REALLY GREAT!" He exclaimed with extra volume to try and irritate me but I didn't let it enter my bubble.

Soon I could no longer hear the wind or the rustle of leaves, just myself and my inner calmness as it washed over my body. Suddenly I felt a pulse go through me and out through the air as if in a blue ripple and I saw an image within my mind of my five Pokémon, each with a certain glow around them.

Pidgeotto was a calm, peaceful pale blue whereas Charizard was crackling with fire, burning bright and hot whereas next to him, my little Eevee, was surrounded in a pink and purple brightness, sparkling sweetly but not overwhelmingly. Next to her sat Dratini who was also bathed in pale blue light, however there was also a shade of violet around her which brought out the softness of both colours. Lastly Bulbasaur was surrounded by a flickering shade of blue with hints of green shining through.

Then all at once it was gone, making me inhale sharply. What was that? It was almost as if I were seeing my Pokémon's inner soul, or their aura or something. Maybe I need to have another talk with Professor Oak.

Slowly I opened my eyes, looking down into my lap as I went over what I had just seen. It was kind of amazing, seeing my Pokémon in a new light like that. In a way the colours signified them perfectly, especially Charizard's flaming hot temper and pride. You should have seen him the other day when Brock said no to more food. He needed to put on new pants after Charizard had burned through the pair he had been wearing.

Shaking my head I smiled and picked up my flute, pressing it to my lips then began to play. Instantly I saw each of my Pokémon smile, listening to the tune I played them to help them relax. I played through the melody twice, letting it ring with the sounds of nature until finally, I was ready to get up and get going. "Alright guys, I think we're ready." I said, nodding my head to them as they stood up and looked at me. "I know you'll all be amazing and I'll do my best not to let you down, so let's do this!"

I punched the air with a leap as my Pokémon rushed at me, making me squeal as I suddenly had five Pokémon all climbing around me to shower me with affection and reassurance. I laughed and giggled, holding Dratini up in the air as she sang at me, Eevee and Bulbasaur licking my face as Pidgeotto grabbed my hat in her talons and pecked at my hair and Charizard nuzzled my belly with his snout. "Guys! That tickles!" I laughed, unable to stay still as they continued to show me the love. "Okay! I love you all too! Ha ha, stop it!" I squealed again then began to return them before I started to cry from the laughter. "I'll see some of you out on the battlefield, let's make this a great battle!" I said before standing up, ensuring all the Pokéballs were secured before I head over for breakfast.

When we got to Violet City I was a sack of nerves, constantly swallowing down lumps and when we got the gym itself, my knees began to shake. The tall tower was set up almost like a spiral with numerous windows all gazing down like eyes, peering closely. I gulped again.

"This is pretty impressive." Brock admired as everyone stared upwards.

"It's even better than I thought it'd be." Ash agreed.

"I can't wait to see the inside!" Misty answered but I just groaned.

"I need to hurl." Swaying on my feet slightly I felt my stomach lurch as Ash grabbed my wrist and yanked me forwards.

"Come on! I can't wait to find the gym leader so I can win my first Johto League badge, and neither can you Ruby so let's go!"

"If you say so…" I groaned, feeling my stomach twist uncomfortably. This was really nerve racking. What if the gym leader is too strong for me? What if I can't handle it? No, no that's not the way to think. Just calm down Ruby and trust your Pokémon. It'll all work out in the end, you'll see. They're strong and so are you, stronger than anyone else in the world! Yeah!

"Not so fast!"

"Huh?" Ash stopped short and I ploughed into him at his sudden change in pace, meaning the back of his head hit the front of mine.

"Watch it Ash!" I shot at him, gripping my nose but then turned to look at the person who'd stopped us. "What is it?" There were two of them, dressed up in smart uniforms with glasses on their noses, shining so brightly that I couldn't see their eyes.

"We heard what you just said but before you challenge the Violet Gym Leader to a Pokémon battle we have a few questions for you." The woman said, smirking at us.

"All challengers are required to participate in our little survey." Her male counterpart continued and I frowned.

"What kind of survey?" Ash and I asked together.

"Excuse me but are you connected with the gym in some way?" Misty asked politely.

"Don't we look like we're connected to the gym?" I shook my head.

"Not really, you look more like the kind of people who would take my order at a pizza restaurant." I replied. Obviously they didn't like my answer because their tones grew a little more impatient.

"Ugh! The nerve! Now if you'll kindly surrender all your Pokémon you are required to allow us to do a health check on them all." The lady said, stepping forwards with her hands on her hips to peer at Pikachu.

"We have to be sure they meet all Violet City standards." Her companion explained before she reached out and grabbed Pikachu.

"We'll start with this one." She decided, carrying him away to her companion as Ash took a step forwards to try and follow but stopped, deciding not to interrupt. "What do you think?"

"Just as I suspected, another Grade B Pikachu. It's all bleary eyed and blubbery." He sighed, shaking his head. Now wait a minute! Pikachu is as healthy as they come, Nurse Joy said so only a few days ago! Who are they calling blubbery?

"Okay, I think you should return Pikachu to Ash now." I said. "You've done your little check-up, so there shouldn't be a problem. Pikachu is a healthy specimen, anyone could see that even if they didn't know the first thing about Pokémon care." I stepped forwards with Ash but they shook their heads.

"I'm afraid we'll have to confiscate it." Okay, now I know this is a setup. No one is allowed to confiscate another's Pokémon. It's against the law! I think. Still! "Bye!"

"Hey wait a second!" Ash yelled as they ran off.

"Our ride's waiting!" They trilled over their shoulder and we all raced to try and catch up.

"Ash, you _really_ need to stop letting people just pick up your Pikachu." I said to him as we ran but we were cut off short when we saw a familiar balloon shoot out into the sky. "Agh! Team Rocket!"

"Prepare for trouble it's too late for you!"

"And make it double, we've got Pikachu!" They both crowed as the balloon rose up into the air, Pikachu locked away in some sort of dome case as Team Rocket began to recite their motto. With them distracted I looked around, searching for a way up to them and saw a car, a lamppost and a jump between that and the balloon. Right!

I raced forwards, sneaking off silently whilst turning my neckerchief around, showing the severity of the matter. This meant business. I climbed up onto the car then scurried up the lamp quickly, swinging up onto the top then waited, poised and ready before springing forwards just as Meowth jumped up into view.

"Meowth that's right!"

"Sneak attack!" I yelled as I was in the air then grabbed onto the side of the balloon, making everyone yell as it tipped to the side, my weight dragging it off course and Jessie lost her grip on Pikachu's cage. "Pikachu!" I cried out and let go with one hand, grabbing the case then smiled. "Hey there! Glad I dropped by?" I asked and he beamed up at me.

"Pikachu!"

"Way to go Ruby!" Brock yelled down. "Now hang on! It's too far to drop!" I looked down and almost screamed. Yeah, Brock was kind of right with that one. If I let go then it would definitely be a few broken bones and a fractured skull, not to mention what might happen to Pikachu.

"What do you think you're doing twerp?!" Jessie yelled, appearing overhead. "Give back that Pikachu!"

"No way!" I yelled back at her.

"Hand it over, or we make you let go." Meowth threatened, brandishing his claws and with both hands occupied, I couldn't call out for a Pokémon since they were all sleeping and unlikely to hear me.

"If you make me let go then Pikachu goes with me!" I tried, closing my eyes and looking away, waiting for the Scratch attack but surprisingly, Meowth saw sense.

"Hm, the kid's right. Alright then, grab it!" I yelled in fear, feeling the box sway as all three of them tried to reach for Pikachu so I let him slip between my knees and grounded him there so I could hold onto the box with both hands as my other was slipping.

"Heracross go!" Ash yelled. Finally! "Heracross, go help Ruby quick!" Heracross flew up into the air but Team Rocket stopped to peer over the side, blinking before giggling maliciously.

"If the twerps think Heracross can stop us then they've got another thing coming." Meowth said as they left me along for a moment and he ducked down to pick up a jar of golden gloop. "Some Grade A super sap for the super sad." He said then dropped the jar.

"No! Don't fall for it Heracross!" I yelled but sure enough the moment the jar split open Heracross dove down and began to suck it all up. "Heracross! I swear I'll never make you sap cookies again!" I bellowed, struggling to hold my grip. "Charizard! Charizard I need you!" But no answer. "Pidgeotto!"

"Can it kid, your Pokémon can't hear you from inside their Pokéball." Jessie said, grinding her fingers into my head. "If we can't get Pikachu back then we'll have to drag the twerp inside too. James help me! She's slippery!" I struggled against them, refusing to be dragged in but by now my arms were beginning to ache.

I looked down, judging the height. If I let go then I might just about have enough time to send out Charizard before we landed if he took a dive steep enough but then maybe not. This is not good, I don't want to die right before my first gym battle!

"It's okay Pikachu, I'll get you out of this." I said to him as Jessie and James clawed at my arms, trying to haul me inside. "I'll never let you go to these freaks, okay? You can trust me on that one."

"Pika…" He said to me with worry, hands pressed up against the glass. Suddenly a Hoothoot appeared, chirping happily at me then easily grabbed the hook at the top of Pikachu's case then flew away with him.

"Hey you get back here! That's my friend's Pikachu!" I yelled, letting go with one hand to try and grab it back but instantly I felt my fingers slip and let go of the hold I had. "Argh!" Suddenly I had three pairs of hands grabbing onto my arm.

"Oh no you don't twerp, you're not getting away from us that easily." Jessie grunted. "Arbok! Use your Poison Sting attack and send that glider into a tailspin!" She ordered just as they managed to drag me inside. Instantly I was relieved, but then I was pressed for space as Arbok began to shoot Poison Sting down at the glider that had taken Pikachu, tearing through its widespread fabric.

"No! Don't! You'll hurt Pikachu if it crash lands!" I yelled, leaping to the front and made the basket sway violently.

"Hey! Stop that you twerp! You'll send us overboard!" The three of them yelled at me all at once but I paid them no mind, watching as the guy who was flying got out of there quickly, still holding onto Pikachu.

Suddenly he threw out a Pokéball and a Pidgeot appeared, one far bigger than any I have ever seen before. The trainer landed on its back and it flew straight for us. "Jump!" He called out to me, stretching out a hand and without even waiting to reply, I made to spring overboard but Jessie yanked me back.

"I don't think so. If we're going down then you're coming with us." She growled as I struggled to break free.

"I wouldn't count on it!" I said then stamped on her foot.

"YEOOOW! Ow, ow, ow that _hurt_!" She yelled and with me now free, I leaped over the side as the Pidgeot tore through the balloon. Now…I was falling.

"WAAARGH!" I yelled, arms and legs flailing as I tried to twist around and reach a Pokéball. "CHARIZARD! PIDGEOTTO! ANYONE!" Suddenly I landed in someone's arms, securing me down as I heard a flap of wings either side of me. "Huh?"

"Relax." The strange hand glider guy said then smiled gently at me. "We've got you now."

"Oh…thanks." I said, blinking up at him then sat up a little to watch Pidgeot land gracefully, stretching out its neck to ruffle its feathers as the stranger leaped off with me still in his arms and I just sat there uselessly. "Um…you can put me down now." I told him and he nodded his head.

"I hope you are alright."

"Me? Oh I'm fine." I said with a blush as I stepped back and away from him, letting him hand Pikachu back over to Ash who instantly laughed with relief. "Thanks again. I'm probably going to go somewhere alone so I can think over how humiliating that was and cry in shame." I said with a shrug. "But otherwise yeah, I'm great." He gave a soft, mellow laugh then nodded his head.

"Wow, am I glad you're on our side." Ash said as he hugged Pikachu. "One more loss for Team Rocket, right Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" He agreed just as the Hoothoot returned, landing on the stranger's shoulder as he looked to his two Pokémon.

"We're always happy to help out a fellow Pokémon trainer aren't we?" He said whilst looking to his Pokémon and both Hoothoot and Pidgeot nodded their heads and chirped in agreement.

"I've never seen a Pidgeot fly that fast." Misty said as I admired the bird Pokémon myself. I wonder if Pidgeotto will ever become that big one day.

"Yeah and it's a lot bigger than the Pidgeot I used to have." Ash said and the stranger smiled.

"Oh did you used to have a Pidgeot?"

"Sure did." Ash nodded his head as he though back with pride. "We even got into a battle with a Fearow. It was attacking a whole bunch of Pidgeotto and Pidgey not far from Pallet Town so once we took care of the Fearow, I let it stay to help protect the flock." Ash explained then gave a wistful smile. "Someday…I'll go back and see my old friend."

"I can tell by the way you talk about it you had a real bond with your Pidgeot." The nice guy said sympathetically and Ash grinned.

"Course I did, I'll never forget the feeling of flying around on its back and battling over the Viridian Forest!"

"I know what you mean." He agreed, eyes focused on Ash before they turned up to the sky. "If there's one thing better than watching a Pidgeot in the sky then it's flying around with it. They are reliable, trustworthy and very brave Pokémon."

"Just like my Pidgeotto!" I beamed. "There's not a more loyal friend I can trust more than my Pidgeotto! Except my other Pokémon of course, and you guys." Misty gave a little laugh as she smiled at me.

"You got it!" She cheered then turned back to our new found friend. "I guess flying types must be your favourite, huh?"

"They are." He nodded his head, looking around to his Hoothoot with pride. "Someday I want to be known as the best flying Pokémon trainer that ever lived." He explained but Brock seemed a little confused.

"Why do you like flying types so much?" He asked so the stranger pointed to the sky.

"That's why. I've always wanted to fly through the sky. When I was a little boy all I ever did was dream about flying, and now that I have flying Pokémon I can." I know what he meant. When I was little I always used to gaze up at the stars and dream of flying up to them so I could reach out and touch one, and now I can.

"That must be why you started hand gliding." Ash reasoned and the stranger turned back to us with a smile.

"Well I really started gliding so I could understand my flying Pokémon better."

"That's a great idea!" Ash blinked and I nodded my head. It was, maybe I should give it a go someday. It sounds and looks like a lot of fun!

"I suppose you've heard a lot of trainers say that flying Pokémon don't stand a chance against electric Pokémon. It makes me so _mad_ when people put down flying Pokémon!" I blinked at his sudden enthusiasm, starting slightly but quickly recovered as Misty lifted her head and stepped forwards.

"Good for you! My favourite Pokémon are water types and it always seems like people are underestimating them the same way! Hm. Some people really need to smarten up and see how great water Pokémon really are." She said proudly and I laughed nervously.

"We got it Misty and we agree, water Pokémon are great." I said to her. "Just don't blow a top over it, okay?" I tried gently so she exhaled.

"You're right." Ash turned and held out his hand in greeting to the stranger, shaking his hand.

"These are my friends Misty, Brock and Ruby, my name is Ash."

"And I'm Falkner, the Violet City gym leader. Hi."

"What?!" We all yelped, jaws going slack as we stared at him in shock. We've just been talking casually on the street with the city gym leader? And we're supposed to battle him in just a few minutes?! Sheesh, now I'm definitely ready to die with shame. The guy had to catch me from falling! Shaking out my head I looked at him.

"So wait, _you're_ the city gym leader? Here? In Violet City?" Falkner nodded his head.

"Yeah. Sorry, probably should have mentioned that earlier." I groaned and fell to my knees, gripping my hat to hide my face.

"This is not going to plan…" I muttered under my breath as the others just looked at me.

"Well you see, we're actually here so we can challenge you to a battle." Ash explained. "Ruby and I, we're entered in the Johto League, so we're here to collect a badge." He said confidently, hoisting me to my feet despite me swaying, anchoring an arm around my shoulders. "And we're not leaving until we both get that badge!"

"Well, this is a surprise. Come on in, all of you. I accept your challenges so let's get this thing going." He turned to his Pokémon and gave a proud nod to them both. "Pidgeot, Hoothoot, return. Good work today." With that he led us on inside.

I barely saw my surroundings, I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other without tripping. I made it all the way to the elevator before I did so. With a yelp I tumbled inside, somehow managing to grip the side and keep myself from further embarrassment.

"Hey Ruby, what's wrong with you today? Normally it's me falling over my own feet!" Ash tried to joke but I just glared at him.

"For your information, genius, I'm very, very nervous!" I yelled, smacking him on the back of his head. "So quit your jabbering because it's giving me a headache too!"

"Hey, calm down will you? It's just a gym battle, we're not at the Johto League yet!" Oh thanks Ash, that made things just so much worse.

"Thanks genius. Now I feel totally calm!" I growled at him, shaking slightly at the knees.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you just do your stupid meditation thing then? At least I'll get some peace and quiet to myself!"

"Peace and quiet? You're the one who won't stop talking! And it's not a stupid meditation thing!" I yelled back but then we both stopped, blinking as we realised we were only inches apart before looking to the other three who were just staring at us.

"Is this normal?" Falkner asked and Misty sighed.

"This is mild." She answered so I stood in the corner, not saying another word as I worked on calming myself down.

"This is a little weird." Falkner admitted as the elevator carried us to the top. "Normally I don't make friends with the trainers who come here before I have to battle them. But a match is a match and we have to battle hard, friends or not."

"Yeah! Definitely!" Ash nodded his head.

"You got that right." I said from my corner before going quiet again. The doors pinged and I looked up to find we were on the roof of the building, the bright sunlight flooding through as Falkner stepped forwards.

"Well, this is it." When we stepped outside I stared at the large battlefield with wide open air and sky all around us. "Welcome to the Violet Gym!" He said as he stood before a group of young trainers, all of them clothed in a simple grey clothing.

"Looks like his cheering section." Misty said slowly and nervously.

"Hey Ash, Ruby, you both okay?" Brock asked and Ash instantly answered.

"Sure I'm okay! We came to win a badge, not a popularity contest, right Pikachu?"

"Pi…ka!" He agreed, looking as determined as Ash did.

"So, which of you shall I battle first?" Falkner asked, glancing between Ash and I so I shoved him forwards.

"Oh look at that! Ash volunteers, good job, well done and good luck!" I said before speeding to take a seat in the stands. "You go Ash!" I called as the others just stared at me.

"Ha, she's a little nervous." Ash excused so I shouted back over to him.

"I heard that Ash Ketchum! I am not nervous! I'm just letting you warm Falkner up for me to battle him!" Everyone laughed, shaking their heads so I took a deep breath and went back into my meditation pose, inhaling and exhaling deeply until my heart rate was at a reasonably normal pace.

"This official Johto League battle between Ash the challenger from Pallet Town and Falkner the Violet Gym Leader will now begin! At stake is the Zephyr badge! Each will use two Pokémon! Begin the match when ready." The referee called so Ash smirked.

"I'm ready, and you better be ready too!" Ash called with perfect ease and confidence. How does he do it? "Ready to hand me over a badge!"

"I wouldn't count on that my friend. There's a reason I'm the Violet City Gym Leader, and having seen what my flying Pokémon have done for you, now you're going to see what they do to you!" With that he flung out a Pokéball and released none other than Hoothoot. Please be sensible Ash and don't underestimate it.

"That's no surprise. But I have a surprise for him. I choose you! Chikorita!" I slapped my brow. Why do I even bother trying to telepathically tell him not to be dumb? He never listens to me anyway. Chikorita appeared from her Pokéball but the moment she was free she leaped onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzled him with affection, making him cringe. "Ugh! Don't embarrass me…" He pleaded.

"Bad choice." Falkner said and they both looked at him. "I thought you of all people would have known that grass Pokémon are weak against flying Pokémon. How could you forget that if you used to have a Pidgeot?" What can I say? It's Ash. Sometimes he just takes you by storm and surprise.

"Yeah? Well I thought you of all people would have known that you don't always judge by type!" Ash returned smartly and I began to smile. Go Ash! Nice comeback!

"Chika!" In some ways I guess Chikorita was a great choice, since she was so adoring towards Ash, she'd do anything to make him happy. Including doing her best to help win him a badge.

"Begin!" A drum beat was sounded and the match started.

"Well, if you know so much then you make the first move." Falkner said as his Hoothoot stood before him on one leg. It was a sweet looking Pokémon and rather cute the way it stood like that, but it'll have to be tough to be able to compete with Chikorita on spunk alone.

"Okay! Chikorita, Vine Whip attack!"

"Chika!" Her vines shot out and snapped towards Hoothoot with alarming speed.

"Hoothoot, fly away!" The little bird Pokémon flew up into the sky just as Chikorita's whips slapped the ground.

"We can't let him get away. Try your Vine Whip again!" Ash encouraged and Chikorita focused on the Hoothoot.

"Hoothoot! Fly away from that Vine Whip and then dive!" Falkner yelled, suddenly becoming serious. You can just tell how much he loved flying type Pokémon and it looked like he'd trained them hard, because next thing you knew Chikorita had been smacked aside with a Tackle attack. "Now Hoothoot, knock out that grass Pokémon with your Peck attack!" Ouch, not nice. Poor Chikorita! Do something Ash! Do it now!

"Come on Chikorita, battle back with Razor Leaf attack!" Chikorita leaped back for space and flung its leaf around, sending out a number of sharply spinning leaves but Falkner easily countered.

"Hoothoot climb!" Hoothoot rose higher into the air and dodged the attack almost too easily. "Finish it off Hoothoot! Go into a dive and Tackle it at top speed!"

"Chikorita get out of the way!" Ash called and Chikorita smartly leaped to the side, avoiding the hit.

"Do it again Hoothoot and this time, don't let it get away!" Hoothoot climbed up then dove down, spiralling slightly as it aimed down directly for Chikorita.

"Look out Chikorita! Use Vine Whip before it gets you!" Chikorita hurried and smacked out a Vine Whip but Hoothoot was too agile in the air and easily avoided them, finishing the attack by tackling Chikorita to the ground.

"Agh! Chikorita's hit!" Ash yelled then ran over to her. "Chikorita!" He picked her up and held her gently in his arms, smiling down to her. "You put up a great battle Chikorita." He said to her with pride.

"Chikorita is unable to battle, Hoothoot is the winner!" Ash returned Chikorita to the Pokéball and stood up, unfazed by the loss.

"You deserve a good rest Chikorita." He informed her then stood up to face Falkner again.

"I warned you." He said with a smirk on his face. "Your grass Pokémon can't compete with flying Pokémon." This only made Ash angrier and I could sense it from within him, growing bigger until he turned to Pikachu with a growl.

"You're up next Pikachu, let's show them what we can do!"

"Pikachu!" He nodded his head then walked onto the battlefield, cheeks sparking brightly. I started to become bothered by how angry and unfocused Ash was. He wasn't thinking straight and this could lead him to lose.

"Begin!" The ref called and the drum was struck.

"Take out that Pikachu with your Tackle attack Hoothoot!" But Ash was beginning to get back on the ball.

"Go Pikachu! Use your Agility so Hoothoot can't tackle you!" Pikachu darted forwards then disappeared, running so fast that Hoothoot couldn't predict where Pikachu was going to strike.

"Hoothoot! Climb before it uses electricity!"

"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" Ash answered and Pikachu instantly sent out the bolt.

"Hoothoot!" Falkner cried, watching in horror as despite Hoothoot's climb, it was struck by the powerful bolt and it fell from the sky.

"Alright Pikachu, let's finish it off with a Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu raced forwards, looking determined before he ploughed into Hoothoot, sending it flying back into Falkner's arms as he gasped and held his Pokémon to him.

"Hoothoot are you okay?" He asked with genuine worry and I smiled. Nice guy. Not too bad, just a little serious with his battling. Ash on the other hand, he was growing cocky now and I knew it was going to start leading to mistakes soon unless he got to grips with things.

"Pikachu is the winner!" The ref called and I looked up, finding myself to be surprisingly calm. I wasn't nervous anymore! That's great, with one more win Ash will have his Zephyr badge and then it's _my_ turn.

"You did well Hoothoot, you deserve a good long rest." Looking up once Hoothoot had returned to its Pokéball, Falkner smiled. "Alright, time for a surprise!" With that he sent out his next Pokéball and his Pokémon was revealed to be…a Dodrio? Wow that's so awesome! I love this guy!

"It's a Dodrio!" Ash started backwards slightly, staring at the three headed bird Pokémon.

"Unfortunately for you, none of my opponents have ever defeated Dodrio. When they start to battle trainers see how three heads are much worse than one." Falkner said confidently.

"I'm not scared! Everyone knows that Dodrio can't fly." Ash returned so I sighed, standing up.

"You gotta remember Ash, Dodrio are fast and have strong legs to jump! Don't be fooled by its lack of flight!" I called over to him. "So get _your_ head out of the clouds and concentrate, focus on the battle and not what's lying at the end of it. If you don't keep your eye on what's happening now then you'll lose out on a win!"

"Right, got it!" Ash said, nodding his head then turned back to the battle.

"Begin!" The drum thumped and the match was officially started.

"We'll let him make the first move." Falkner decided and his Dodrio nodded their three heads with a squawk.

"Okay Pikachu your Agility worked before so let's try it again!" He decided so Pikachu darted forwards.

"You heard him Dodrio so use your Agility too!" Dodrio began matching Pikachu move for move, not letting up any pace to keep up with the smaller Pokémon. Hey, I did say Dodrio were fast.

"Okay Pikachu that Dodrio may be fast but it can't run away from your Thunderbolt!" Pikachu got the message and started to power up, focusing on Dodrio who continued to use Agility.

"Don't try to run Dodrio! Fly away!" Dodrio leaped up into the air, missing the Thunderbolt cleanly. "Keep it up now Dodrio, use Fury Attack!" Dodrio fell down to the ground and instantly pecked at Pikachu, sending him flying backwards.

"Hang in there!" Ash encouraged, clenching his fists.

"Go Dodrio! Get ready to flatten it!" Dodrio sprang up into the air again, higher than before even! "That's it Dodrio, now use Drill Peck!" I leaped up and yelled.

"Concentrate Ash! Focus on the _match_!" Ash blinked and somehow, jump started into motion.

"Go Pikachu, Thunder attack!" Pikachu opened his eyes as Dodrio got closer in range, the hit almost landing but then he let loose a powerful set of bolts, jumping across the air and ground with extra power to boot. The bolts hit Dodrio and they squawked in shock, their Drill Peck attack cancelled out as Pikachu kept up the power before letting them drop.

They sizzled slightly, swaying from the strong dose of Pika-Power. Alright! "Dodrio! Back on your feet and use Tri-Attack!" Uh oh, we're in trouble!

"Don't give up Pikachu!" Ash suddenly said, calmly encouraging Pikachu as the three heads began to bring forward their attack. "Jump just like Dodrio!" Pikachu narrowed his eyes, spreading his arms then leaped up into the air, using Dodrio's head as a spring and stopped their attack as they looked up in confusion, Falkner gasping in shock.

"Dodrio!"

"Now, finish it off with another Thunder attack Pikachu!" Ash called and Pikachu instantly channelled all his energy into the one single bolt, sending it down to Dodrio in a super effect critical hit! Sweet!

"Alright! Go Pikachu!" I yelled as Misty and Brock laughed happily, watching as Dodrio dropped to the ground, knocked out. Yay! Ash won! Ash won! Ash wo-wait, doesn't that mean…oh no, it's my turn now!

"Pikachu is the winner of this match and the battle is over! The victor is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Ash blinked then punched the air.

"We did it! My first gym battle victory in Johto!" He cheered and Pikachu sat down, taking a deep breath to then exhale in relief. "You did it Pikachu! You were awesome buddy." Ash said and Pikachu pricked up his ears, turning with a smile to Ash.

"Pika?" Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms and the two celebrated with a joyous hug as I walked over.

"Great going Ash, you sure did Pallet Town proud." I said before smiling and lifting my fist in a determined stance. "But now allow me to show you how things are _really_ done." With that I turned and faced Falkner. "I'm ready when you are." I said, picking up my first Pokéball. "Unless you want to quit now whilst you still can."

"Not on your life. Don't worry little girl, I'll make this quick so you can go back to your playhouse." He teased and I rolled my eyes, waiting until the drum had been struck and the signal given to begin. "Alright, you're up Fearow, I chose you!" A Fearow huh? This could be a good one.

"Alright Eevee! Time to shine!" I called and she came out with a shake of her coat and a firm stance on the ground.

"Vee!"

"I know you can do it Eevee, I have faith in you." I said to her with a confident smile. "Let's do this!" The Fearow gave a loud squawk, flapping its wings extra hard to try and intimidate Eevee but the challenge only made her want to battle more.

"Ladies first." Falkner said with a slight mocking bow so I curtseyed back to him.

"Why thank you, how kind." I said then looked down to Eevee. "Alright Eevee, let's start things up with Dig!"

"What?!" Falkner blinked then stared as Eevee dug underground.

"That's right. You think I didn't plan for this battle the moment I knew what type Pokémon you used?" I questioned then placed my hands on my hips. "Ash's battle gave me time to study your technique and strategy. Now I've formulated my own to counter it. Let's see how well I studied, shall we? Go Eevee!"

Eevee rose up from the ground directly underneath Fearow and just as I expected, Falkner commanded Fearow to rise even higher. "Now use Swift Eevee! Good girl!" Eevee directed her Swift up into the air, making a direct hit with Fearow's belly as Eevee then dropped back to the ground and jumped back to face Fearow.

"Fearow, use Fury Attack!"

"Dodge it, quick Eevee! Then use Shadow Ball!" Eevee leaped out of the way of Fearow who swooped back into the air as Eevee focused and produced a Shadow Ball and shot it into the air. Fearow expertly banked to the right to avoid it then curved back around.

"Fearow, take out this little pipsqueak with Ariel Ace!"

"Dig Eevee!" I called quickly and Eevee dug underground just as Fearow sped over her, missing by inches so I exhaled with relief. "You can do it Eevee, just pop out and then use Swift again!" Eevee shot out from the ground and aimed Swift upwards, not knowing where Fearow was flying but then the stars swerved around to strike Fearow regardless.

"Woah! How did that happen?" Ash asked in shock so Brock explained.

"Swift is an attack that never misses its target. The only way you can avoid being hit by it is by counteracting it." A fact I know all too well. I smirked, taking a deep breath as I told myself not to get cocky. This is far from over.

"Fearow, Ariel Ace now before it lands!" Falkner had already shouted and before I could do anything Fearow had struck my Eevee with the double attack, flying twice over to knock her down as she cried out then crashed into the ground.

"Eevee?! Eevee! Can you get up? Please get up Eevee!" I called, stretching out a hand prepared to run to her as she trembled and struggled to her feet.

"Fearow, finish this with Drill Peck." I growled, shooting a glare at Eevee as she stood.

"Just stand there Eevee, wait for my signal." I said to her. "It's time to play your favourite game." Eevee's ears pricked up in understanding and she nodded her head, preparing to spring forwards.

"Vee!" I watched as Fearow flew down in a steep dive, aiming straight for Eevee who twitched, making to jump.

"Not yet." I quickly stopped her. "Just wait." A few seconds more and then we were there. "Now!" Eevee sprang off the ground and jumped onto Fearow's body, racing along it then leaped up into the air with a happy expression as she twisted around.

"Now Shadow Ball!" I called and Eevee instantly threw down the attack, hitting Fearow square on as she landed and faced it as it pounded into the ground.

"No! Fearow!" But Fearow was down and out of the match, thanks to Eevee!

"Fearow is unable to battle. The match goes to Eevee!" I cheered and punched the air with the others, praising Eevee for her great work.

"Way to go Eevee! You were so great!" I told her as she bounced around and pranced on her feet, happily chanting her name.

"Vee! Eevee Vee! Vee! Eevee Vee!" I laughed, smiling to her then winked.

"Okay now, we've still got one more opponent to beat and I think I can guess you that'll be." I said, looking up at Falkner as he gave a soft murmur to his Fearow.

"A good match. I'll admit, I underestimated that little Eevee of yours. You've taught and raised it well." Falkner commented so I smiled and bowed my head respectfully.

"Thank you, your Pokémon are amazing too. They sure put up a tough fight." I said but then looked at Eevee with worry. She'd taken a lot of damage from that hit, I don't think she'd be able to take much more so I'll have to rely on her evasiveness to try and keep up with the next Pokémon, who sure enough was Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot, I choose you!" Falkner called and his magnificent Pidgeot flew out and spiralled in the sky.

"Begin!"

"Pidgeot, use Quick Attack!" Falkner called so I quickly turned to Eevee.

"Use Dig to burrow as many holes as you can!" I said and instantly she dived under, burrowing down and avoided Pidgeot's attack as she then leaped up from the ground into the air then dived back down again.

"What is she doing?" Falkner frowned, gritting his teeth as Eevee filled the battlefield with holes.

"Alright Eevee, use Swift from underground!" I called and everyone gasped. Stars shot out from all of the holes, rising up into the sky and struck Pidgeot who took the hits with pride, taking the damage without even trying to escape as Eevee popped her head up and beamed proudly at me.

"Vee!"

"Nice one Eevee." I nodded my head. "You're doing great."

"Pidgeot, use Razor Wind! Don't let that Eevee escape you!" I gasped, turning upwards to see Pidgeot as it smacked the air with its wings and sent harsh gusts of winds down at Eevee who flew backwards from the force, calling out as she curled up then was struck again.

"You can do it Eevee, land on your feet!" I yelled over the wind to her, holding up a hand to protect my eyes but I watched as she twisted and tried to fight back against the wind, clenching her jaw and grounding her feet.

"Now use Quick Attack before it can escape underground again." Falkner said calmly and Pidgeot instantly dived down with blinding speed.

"Eevee!" Eevee cried out as she was hit directly, flying through the air and I gasped, leaving my box to race out to the side and I jumped, catching her in my arms.

"Eevee! Eevee are you okay?" I asked, reaching out and stroking her face softly as she remained still in my arms, whimpering slightly.

"Vee…Vee…"

"Eevee is unable to battle. The winner is Pidgeot!" I ignored them, focused on Eevee who slowly took a deep breath then looked at me, giving me her signature floppy smile which made me smile in relief.

"I'm really proud of you Eevee." I said as I picked up her Pokéball. "You take a long rest now. You deserve it for sure."

"Vee…" She sighed softly as I let her return then looked up to Falkner.

"Alright, so this isn't over yet. How about I introduce you to my oldest friend?" I suggested then stretched out my arm, sending the Pokéball forwards with all the force I could muster. "Go Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeo!" She greeted then flew a circle around me, making me giggle.

"I know it's exciting but you have to concentrate, okay?" Falkner stared at my Pidgeotto then laughed.

"You're really going to use a Pidgeotto against my Pidgeot, its own evolved form?" I nodded my head determinedly.

"That's right. I have a strong bond with Pidgeotto and she's tougher and stronger than she looks. She's fast too. I bet she can match your Pidgeot for speed because I trained her well!" I answered back with heat to my words. "Let's do this!" The ref nodded then lifted his hands.

"Begin!" With the sound of the drum I was already moving.

"Pidgeotto! Use Quick Attack!" Falkner gave a short laugh, shaking his head.

"You use Quick Attack too Pidgeot." The two went head to head and I bit my lip. It all depended on who had the greater speed as to who hit first, though it looked pretty close. Both Pokémon flew at one another with all speed, not backing down until finally they collided, both impacting at the same time. Hey! That means Pidgeotto really _does_ match Pidgeot for speed! Alright!

"Pidgeotto, shake it off! Let's use Sand Attack!" Pidgeotto flew to the ground and used her speed to whip up the sand which billowed into Pidgeot's face, clouding its vision so I moved quickly. "Now use Wing Attack!"

"Pidgeot, blow that sand away with Razor Wind!" The dust cloud was swept away in a flash and Pidgeot looked around for Pidgeotto but she wasn't anywhere in front. "Look out! It's coming from behind!" Pidgeot turned around in time to receive a full Wing Attack to the front, knocking it out of the sky but it quickly recovered and was soaring back in the air again, chasing after Pidgeotto.

"Nice try but your little tricks aren't going to work on us. Now Pidgeot, use Razor Wind again!"

"Double Team!" Pidgeotto multiplied and formed a ring of forms around Pidgeot, moving out of the way of the Razor Wind then arced down, rising up from above. "Now Quick Attack!"

"Dodge it!" Amazingly Pidgeot did so, using its own speed to soar upwards then spiral around to slice through any remaining fake Pidgeotto's, leaving the real one open for the strike. It was a tough battle, I was barely keeping up and now Pidgeotto was taking some serious hits. That last Wing Attack had grounded her, leaving her on the ground where she struggled to get back up.

"Come on Pidgeotto, I know you can do it. You're just as good as any Pidgeot, better even! You know why?" I said and she looked at me. "Because you're _my_ Pidgeotto, my first friend! My only friend all the way through preschool and up until I started this Pokémon journey. You're the one who has always been there for me each step of the way and now I'm here for you." I said, gazing into her eyes with utter love and belief. "You can do it."

With that Pidgeotto turned to face Pidgeot, a new fire burning in her eyes. This meant business now, Pidgeotto was proud about her honour and now, she was going to defend it. "Alright! So we can't beat them with strength, so let's outsmart them. "Pidgeotto! Use Twister and direct it down into the holes Eevee made for us!" Everyone oohed and leaned forwards, watching as Pidgeotto sprung up into the air with seemingly new strength.

She cried out determinedly then began to flutter her wings, aiming her Twisted down into one of the holes to make several more spring up out of each mouth, covering the field in them and I smirked. "Alright! Now use Quick Attack!"

"Pidgeot, use Wing Attack! That should finish them off!" Falkner called so his Pidgeot flew forwards, aiming straight for Pidgeotto.

"Roll over to avoid being hit then fly into that Twister!" I cheered, remaining upbeat for Pidgeotto's sake. As she reached Pidgeot she instantly flapped her wings and turned, rolling over onto her back then straightened out, flying into the Twister as I directed.

"Follow it Pidgeot! Those little gusts of wind should be no problem for you!" I smirked and shook my head.

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that." I said and he blinked at me.

"Huh?"

"Pidgeotto? How about we greet out little guest with a Fly attack." I suggested calmly then looked up as Pidgeotto rose up out of the top of the twisting cyclone then dived down as Pidgeot entered the twister and instantly got caught up in the current, trying to fight against it but Pidgeotto spiralled down, allowing the current to carry her and amplify the attack as her beak and wingtips glowed.

She struck at full force and Pidgeot cried out from the hit, struggling to break free as Pidgeotto glided out of there as easily as if it were a breath of wind. "Pidgeotto, Wing Attack on the double, let's go!" I called and Pidgeotto instantly dove back in and struck Pidgeot again, this time knocking it clean out of the twister.

"No! Pidgeot!" Pidgeot couldn't find its balance or figure out which way was up or down so it tumbled to the ground frantically, threatening to hit it very hard.

"Pidgeotto? Lend Pidgeot a hand would you please?" Falkner looked at me in confusion then watched as Pidgeotto dove down and swept under Pidgeot, giving it the lift it needed to find its ground before it fell the rest of the way, only landing with a lot less force than it would have. "Now to finish this." I said as Pidgeot looked up and tried to fly again. "Pidgeotto, use Peck."

Pidgeotto dove down once more and each time her wings brushed against a twister it guttered out, turning into wisps of dust until she slammed into Pidgeot with a final cry. "Pidgeo!" Pidgeot flew backwards and landed heavily, looking pretty beat up and worn out but still, it lifted its head, glaring up at Pidgeotto who dove down to attack again but I held up my hand.

"Wait."

"Pidgeo?"

"Just wait." I said to her softly, looking at Pidgeot who turned to face me, a look of respect passing through its eyes before finally it gave out and collapsed to the ground.

"Pidgeot is no longer able to battle! Pidgeotto is the winner and the battle goes to Ruby Bates of Pallet Town!" The referee called and I cheered, springing up into the air and Pidgeotto caught my hands as I laughed, lifting me up and spinning me around with a whoosh of air as I beamed.

"We did it! You amazing Pokémon, you were totally awesome out there!" I said as she continued to spin around with me. "I knew you had it in you, I just knew it!" I laughed as she dropped me then came in for a hug, letting me hold her tight before she shifted back onto my arm, using the entire space as a ledge as I held her up and faced Falkner. "Thank you for such an amazing battle. You really tested me to my limits." I told him as he smiled then shook his head.

"No, you showed me my own. I must admit, I was surprised when you chose Pidgeotto when I knew you had a Charizard to hand. Tell me, why not use Charizard when it would have a clear power and strength advantage?" I shrugged.

"What's life without a little challenge?" I reasoned. "I knew hands down my Charizard would beat your Pidgeot without question, I've raised all of my Pokémon to be strong and I don't want any of my battles to just be easy. I always want to learn something about myself, my Pokémon and my opponent by the end." Falkner smiled approvingly then bowed his head.

"Well, I certainly learned a lot about you. I shall continue to train and strengthen my Pokémon. Maybe one day we will be able to battle again, and if your Pidgeotto has evolved by then, then I shall look forward to a rematch to see then who is the better flying Pokémon trainer." I smiled brightly and nodded my head.

"You got it!" Suddenly one of my Pokéballs burst open and Charizard appeared, glaring angrily down at Falkner then roared in warning, stomping a foot as I yelled. "Charizard no! It's not a date! It's just a rematch!" I shouted, waving my arms in front of him to get his attention but he snorted, still not convinced as Falkner took a step backwards.

" _That's_ your Charizard?!" He questioned, staring at its sighed as I laughed timidly.

"Uh yeah…and he's a little overprotective of me." I said, picking up his Pokéball as Pidgeotto fluttered around his face, trilling constantly as she told him off for being so rude. "Now return both of you! Pidgeotto, thank you so much. Rest now and I'll get you to Nurse Joy right away." I promised.

Charizard grunted then shot a quick Flamethrower at Falkner who leaped out of the way as I returned him. "Charizard!" I scolded but he was already back in his Pokéball. "You and I are going to have a serious talk later about your manners." I told him then looked up with an embarrassed flush. "Sorry about that."

"Not to worry. I've had worse." He said as Ash finally bounded over to us, having finished falling over all the potholes. "If you would come to the front of the gym, I shall bring you your badges." He said to us, pausing only to nod respectfully before he moved away. The moment he was gone, Ash and I turned to each other and leaped up into the air.

"Alright! We won our first Johto League gym battle!" Ash cheered and we moved back to back, both of us mirroring one another's victory sign. "Watch out world, because Ash and Ruby are racing to the top!"

"And nothing is going to stop us!" I added then turned around, gripping Ash's hand as we clenched our fists together. "I can't wait for our next battle! Let's get going so we can get there as soon as possible!"

"Yeah!" Ash agreed and together we ran to the lift where Brock and Misty were waiting.

"Already on the move for their next badge and they haven't even collected their first." Misty chuckled as I shook out the adrenaline rush in my hands and fingers, bouncing on the spot with excitement. "Honestly, you two are as bad as each other."

"Or as good, because we both just won our first gym battle in the Johto region!" Ash returned. "I can't wait to tell Professor Oak!"

"Me too! I think we should celebrate." I said. "How about I make us a special batch of Ruby's Marvellous Munchies! Sound good?"

"Alright! Make sure you don't forget the brownies!" Ash told me and I nodded my head.

"Don't worry, it's my own recipe after all, I'm not about to forget it." I assured him. "We can have it for dessert, that sound okay Brock?"

"Sounds great. I'll make my Secret Sauce and Spice Soup! Your favourite." Instantly I was dreaming about dinner and eager to get tasting. The elevator doors opened and we all stepped outside, going quiet as we walked to the entrance then waited for Falkner, who returned with his pupils and two badges in hand.

"Here you are, as promised. You both definitely earned these badges." He told us and we both took one each. They were a pair of silver wings freshly polished and gleaming.

"Thanks." We both chorused, smiling down at the badge in our hands before Ash spun around in celebration. "Alright! The Zephyr Badge, yes!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu leaped up with an echo, punching the air as I calmly slipped mine into my jacket and pinned it in place to sit until I could find a badge case for it.

"Battling with you both has inspired me to learn more and to train harder. That's the only way I'll ever reach my goal of being the world's number one flying Pokémon trainer. I wish you both good luck in the Johto League." He said, shaking Ash's hand first and then mine.

"Thanks and good luck to you!" Ash smiled as I nodded my head.

"Take good care of your Pokémon, remember. I have a soft spot for your Pidgeot. If I come back and find it with a feather out of place then you'll have to deal with me." I said with a warm smile before turning and joining the others in our walk to the Pokémon Centre, where we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and eating our favourite foods with my desert platter of mixed treats going down faster than you could say Pikachu!


	8. Chapter 8

Our next gym battle is in Azalea Town so that's where we were headed. Only thing was Ash stopped every time there was a trainer to battle them. So far he'd won every single battle, but this one right now looked pretty tough. He was using Chikorita against a Ratticate, only thing was he wasn't doing too well. Ratticate had landed some impressive hits on Chikorita and she was beginning to tire out.

"Chikorita! Are you alright?" Chikorita bounced back up, stubborn as ever. "Great, use Tackle attack!"

"Stop it with your Quick Attack Ratticate!" The boy countered and Chikorita got another taste of full muscle power. She bounced on the ground, landing with a thud and Ash stared at her with worry before shaking his head.

"Good job Chikorita but I think you've had enough for today so return!" Obstinately Chikorita got back to her feet and sprang forwards.

"Chika!"

"Hey…didn't you hear me? Brock hummed slightly, fingers cupping his chin in thought as he, Misty and I observed the battle.

"Chikorita's taken a lot of attacks and it's got to be exhausted. Why would it want to go on?" He asked in confusion as Misty watched with worry.

"I don't know but Ash better call it back quick!" It's because she's stubborn and wants to prove herself to Ash, she doesn't want to let him down and that's why she's not backing out.

"Chika!" Chikorita called as she whipped her head around and shot a Razor Leaf at Ratticate, sending it flying backwards but now you could see that the damage has been done and she was gasping for breath, barely able to stand.

"Nice Razor Leaf, good aim! But now I'm replacing you with Pikachu." I saw her eyes shoot wide open and I gave a soft sigh. Bad choice of words Ash. "Chikorita, return!" Ash called as he held out her Pokéball but she darted away before he could capture her. "Chikorita I said return!" I tried again but Chikorita continued to dart out of the way. "Stop it Chikorita!"

It was beginning to grow dark and I heard the kid's mom call out that it was dinner time so he returned his Ratticate but Ash didn't seem to be finished. "Hey what are you doing? We're in a battle here, you can't just leave!"

"Sorry but it's late! And I can't wait all night for you to get your Chikorita to listen." He answered before running off. The kid had a point. Ash growled then turned on Chikorita, blaming her for the incomplete battle. "Chikorita we would have won for sure if you'd have just listened to me." With that he finally caught her again, putting her back in the Pokéball for some time out. "What's with you?" He sighed, looking at the Pokéball before clipping it onto his belt.

"Come on, let's head to the Pokémon Centre." Brock suggested. "Our Pokémon could do with the rest and so could we." Ash turned around, still looking a little lost.

"I just don't get it. Why wouldn't Chikorita listen to me?"

"Because she's not used to being told what to do." I answered him with a shrug. "She's used to doing her own thing and Chikorita is one of the most stubborn Pokémon I've ever seen. It'll be okay though, Chikorita will grow out of it the more you two train together." I assured him then took a step back to turn around. "Come on, how about I cook dinner for today? I think Brock could do with a rest as much as the rest of us."

"Sounds good to me." Brock agreed so we headed on back to the Pokémon Centre. The moment we got inside Brock raced over to Nurse Joy and fell down on one knee, taking her hand as he flamboyantly began to proclaim his love for her. "Oh Nurse Joy! Never have I seen a woman with fairer a face, thou art the most beautiful of them all and most perfect of all jewels and thy heart beat-eth only for you…" Misty grabbed Brock's ear and easily dragged him back across the freshly polished floor.

"And thou art the most dumbest of them all!" She told him and I giggled as I turned to Nurse Joy.

"Hey Nurse Joy, I was wondering if you would mind taking care of our Pokémon for us. They're all pretty tired."

"Of course!" She smiled warmly as Ash joined me. "I'd be happy to. I'll take good care of them whilst you all settle yourselves here."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." We chorused then left our Pokémon in her care. Whilst Brock was recovering from his most recent of heartaches Ash and I called Professor Oak to tell him the good news. The phone rang a couple of times before his face appeared on the screen.

"Good to see you again you two, how's the journey going?" He asked and Ash ploughed on ahead of me.

"It's going great professor!" He exclaimed then pulled back his jacket to reveal his first badge. "I already won a Zephyr badge at the Violet City gym." Professor Oak smiled and nodded his head.

"Well congratulations, that's quite an accomplishment. How about you Ruby? How did you do?" I gave a sigh, pretending to be put out before opening my jacket and giving a proud smile and a wink.

"Nailed it!"

"Well done both of you." Professor Oak chuckled. "Just don't forget to deliver the G-S ball in all your excitement. It's very important that you get it to Kurt." Ash nodded his head reassuringly.

"Don't worry professor, I won't forget that." Suddenly a big gloopy mess came on screen, giving Professor Oak a big hug as he beamed happily.

"As you can see, your Muk is as affectionate and playful as ever, especially around dinner time!" Professor Oak joked before he was flattened by Ash's Muk. "Stop it Muk! That tickles!" He laughed so I called out as loud as I dared, not wanting to disturb anyone in the centre.

"Professor? How is the egg doing?" I asked, itching to know if it's alright. Somehow Professor Oak managed to untangle himself from Muk and he stood back up again.

"I'm glad you asked Ruby. It's been doing alright but not as well as I had hoped. I've been thinking about sending it to a specialised egg care nursery. Maybe they'll be able to nurture it better than I could here."

"No!" Instantly I yelled, causing silence to spread across the centre so I blushed and lowered my voice back down. "No professor you can't. It won't survive that way." I said to him. "It needs me to be there for it, it trusts me." I explained then looked around the screen. "Could you bring it to the monitor for me? Maybe if I just spoke then it'll start to pick up again."

"Good idea. I thought you might be reluctant to let it go Ruby." He said, walking off screen before returning with the egg. I smiled at it.

"Whilst I remember professor, there have been really weird things going on." I said, glancing to Ash but he was now distracted by someone else's Pokémon. "You see, twice now I've connected with the emotions of other Pokémon without meaning to and once, when I was meditating with all my Pokémon, I saw a really strange sort of vision." I began but Professor Oak's expression grew a little serious.

"Ruby, I thought we agreed not to try and go into this gift of yours." Professor Oak said to me sternly. "It could be dangerous and until I can find out for you exactly what it is then you must not do anything to try and tamper with it." I sighed, knowing when I was beat so I nodded my head.

"I know and I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it, it just happened." I said so he nodded his head, once again smiling softly and relaxed.

"I understand. Don't worry Ruby, I'll make sure I take good care of the egg. I've even being playing music to it and it seems to respond a little, but not nearly as much as when you play."

"Thanks professor. We'll call you next time we have some news." I said to him with a smile. "Say hi to Tracey for us! I hope you're remembering to eat and sleep!"

"Of course I am, goodbye Ruby and good luck with your next gym battle." He said before cutting the call. I turned around and smiled to find the second half of the Pokémon eating their dinner and enjoying it immensely. Since Onix and Charizard were too big to be let out within the Pokémon Centre, we had eaten dinner before we'd gone inside with them and some of the other Pokémon so they didn't feel lonely.

Eevee and Dratini lifted their heads, nearly finished with their food but they smiled as I approached, letting me sit with them so I could rub their heads and shower them with cuddles. "Looks like everybody's enjoying their dinner." Ash noted with a smile before noticing one Pokémon was missing. "Huh? Hey Chikorita! Why don't you go eat with the other Pokémon?" Ash suggested but Chikorita ignored him.

Pikachu got up and picked out one of the biggest chunks of his food he could find then carried it over to Chikorita, putting it down on the ground then smiled at her. "Pika!" Chikorita glared then smacked the offering away with her leaf, turning her nose up and away as Pikachu leaped back.

"That wasn't nice." Ash said as we joined him to see what was going on.

"I wonder why Chikorita's been acting so nasty." Brock said as Misty stepped forwards too

"Chikorita's been in such a bad mood lately that we should start calling it Krabby." I sighed, tilting my head to the side slightly before looking down at Eevee and Dratini.

"What do you think guys? Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked and they both nodded their heads sadly. I'm thinking Chikorita is still upset about that battle.

"Pokémon behaviour is clearly driven by psychology." A familiar voice asked and we turned around to find Nurse Joy, only it wasn't Nurse Joy. She wasn't wearing her usual dress, after all. She wore a lab coat, glasses, a smart black pencil skirt and a blouse as well as her nurse cap on her head. "Does that Chikorita belong to you?" She asked Ash who blinked in surprise.

"Uh…yes ma'am."

"And what's your name?"

"My name is Ash Ketchum." He told her and Misty gave a little smile.

"And my name's Misty, and I bet your name is Nurse Joy, isn't it?"

"Correct." Nurse Joy nodded, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "And I have a degree in Pokémon psychology from Celadon University. I provide innovative counselling techniques and new Pokémon therapy." Ash started forwards with deep interest.

"You mean there's a new Pokémon called therapy?!" Both Misty and I shot him a look before she glanced at me.

"Ruby, would you mind doing the honours?" She asked and I cracked my knuckles.

"With pleasure." I reached out a hand and smacked Ash on the back of his head. "Great answer genius." I told him as he yelled and clutched the back of his head.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"Therapy isn't a new Pokémon, it's what helps you with your psychological problems." Misty explained to him but now he didn't look all that interested.

"Oh, is that all?" Suddenly Brock sprang up with that dopey grin on his face, leaping for Nurse Joy.

"My name is Brock and I need you badly! For psychological counselling I mean." He added quickly and all our faces dropped in shame. "You see I have this feeling that's kind of hard to describe like, um, my heart's filled with emptiness."

"I'm sorry." Nurse Joy said to him. "But I'm afraid I only deal with Pokémon." But Brock wouldn't give up, he merely leaned closer and beamed brighter.

"But you would find me much more interesting that a Pokémon." I sighed.

"Misty, please do the honours." Misty nodded her head and grabbed Brock's ear tightly, forcing him to lean back this way as she frowned with ridicule.

"I wouldn't bet on it." Nurse Joy stepped towards Ash and smiled to him.

"I have an idea Ash. Why don't you and your Pokémon join me for a counselling session?" She suggested. Hey that's not a bad idea! However Ash remained as dense as ever.

"But I don't have a problem." I'm not so sure about that Ash. I'm pretty sure the cobwebs are getting pretty thick inside that head of yours.

"Maybe, but I'm going to need your help to explore the issues which may be causing your Chikorita's behaviour." Ash agreed, after I kicked him quickly in the leg to make him think quickly so we all went into Nurse Joy's office where Ash gently set Chikorita down, who had since fallen asleep due to exhaustion.

Ash explained through the events of the day which had led to Chikorita's behaviour and Nurse Joy took down notes as Misty, Brock and I sat and listened with curiosity. "Interesting." Nurse Joy said after she was done reviewing her notes. "You say Chikorita's refusal to return occurred when battling another trainer and his Ratticate earlier this evening?" Ash nodded his head.

"That's right. Chikorita took a lot of damage and it had taken a lot of damage so I wanted it to return and take a rest, but Chikorita wouldn't let Pikachu take over." Instantly Nurse Joy's eyes flashed with realisation as she inched forwards a little.

"I think I know the problem. Chikorita was suffering from envy." Nurse Joy told us but Ash growled impatiently.

"Not envy! I said we were battling with a Ratticate!" And for that, I whacked him on the back of his head again. "Stop that!"

"I will when you stop saying dumb things, genius." I said to him sharply. "Envy means jealousy. Chikorita was jealous!" Ash turned around and just looked at us blankly.

"Jealous of what?" Brock began to whine, biting into a handkerchief as he spoke in fast, jumbled words.

"Why do we have to talk about Chikorita? When is Nurse Joy going to concentrate on me?" He complained but Misty just shot him a look.

"One mental case at a time Brock." She said as Ash turned back to Nurse Joy.

"I give Chikorita plenty of attention Nurse Joy, why would it be jealous?" He questioned so Nurse Joy explained it to him.

"You wanted to substitute Pikachu when Chikorita felt it was on the verge of winning a battle for you. So it's understandable that Chikorita feels that you trust and care more for Pikachu, and it's jealous." Ash started back in shock before sighing and looking down at his Pokémon.

"Poor Chikorita."

"Don't worry Ash. I think we can work through it." Nurse Joy assured him, standing up. "Just follow me." She led us out of her office and down the hall where she opened a set of double doors to reveal a large oasis like garden. Chikorita took one sniff then leaped out of Ash's arms to explore.

"Why did we bring Chikorita here?" Ash asked.

"Chikorita is a grass type Pokémon so it needs lots of plants so it can be calmed and comfortable." She told him but then Brock ruined the mood by going all goofy again.

"I'm calmed when I'm around Nurse Joy, so I guess that must make me her type!" Misty's hand slipped forwards and grabbed his ear to yank him back into sense.

"Can it Casanova!" Nurse Joy turned back to Ash and smiled.

"Why don't you try to get Chikorita to return to its Pokéball now?" She suggested so he picked up her Pokéball and called her back. This time she returned without a fuss so Ash turned back to Nurse Joy.

"Do you really think this psychology stuff will help my Chikorita?" He asked with worry but Nurse Joy reassured him with confidence.

"Yes I do. The new Pokémon therapies are quite effective, but I think it's best if your Chikorita stays in the greenhouse tonight." I for one wasn't sure this was a good idea. Chikorita was very sensitive about Ash and if it's attention it wants, then she'll find a way to get it.

"Nurse Joy?" I questioned as she took Ash's Pokéball. "Not that I'm trying to undermine you, but don't you think it would be better for Ash and Chikorita to just spend time together alone?" I suggested then looked at Ash. "I mean, the way he got Chikorita to trust him in the first place was by rescuing her from a blizzard, and all she wants is to be Ash's favourite so I have a feeling she'll try something to get it." I said then looked back to her. "I know I don't have a degree in anything and I'm only a kid, but I am good with interpreting a Pokémon's feelings, and I'm sure that all Chikorita needs is some one on one time with Ash so that he can let her know how much he appreciates her."

Nurse Joy thought about it for a moment, humming quietly but then Ash spoke up. "Yeah! That's a great idea! I could stay here in the greenhouse tonight with Chikorita and we'll just have a talk about things. I'm sure I can get her to move past this, I know I can!"

"Well…it is encouraged to have the Pokémon's trainer involved with the counselling in all ways possible, so I guess it might be an idea." Nurse Joy said before smiling. "Alright. I think we should give it a try." I turned to Ash and held out my hands, letting him hand over all his Pokémon to me.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them." I promised him. "You and Chikorita just take things slow and steady, but please Ash, don't be a bonehead and _try_ to be sensitive to Chikorita's feelings." I told him, unslinging my bag then pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to him. "These might help, they're photos of all of us since we got here in Johto I printed off today. There's a few of you and Chikorita together so maybe they'll come in handy."

"Thanks Ruby, you're the greatest." He said, taking them carefully from me before kneeling down to face Pikachu. "You'll be okay buddy for one night without me, won't you?"

"Pika!" Pikachu assured him before climbing up onto my shoulder, making me smile as he waved at Ash. "Pika Pikachu."

"Well, now that's settled, I think we should all have a nice long rest." Nurse Joy said. "Feel free to close the windows, it might get a little draughty tonight." She said as she herded us out of the greenhouse. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight Ash!" We all called before the doors were shut behind us.

"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Misty worried but Brock nodded his head.

"They'll be fine. Chikorita likes Ash so much I doubt it could stay angry at him for long." This was try. I guess only the morning will tell. We went to our dorms and tonight Pikachu slept on my bed, curled up with me and I assured him that everything would be fine and that none of this was his fault.

We slept through until the morning where we got up, dressed and instantly went down to the greenhouse, almost unsure whether or not to open the door. "Go on Brock." Misty ushered and he looked at us.

"Why do I have to open it?"

"Because you're the oldest." I answered simply. "Plus we're girls. Men are supposed to open the door for girls all the time." Defeated by my wit Brock turned and reached out to open the door whilst I held Pikachu in my arms nervously, waiting to see if Ash had been cut into ribbons or was still in one piece.

Suddenly the door was pushed open from the other side and Ash emerged, smiling proudly. "Well?" We all asked. "How did it go?" He laughed then stepped back to reveal a very happy looking Chikorita.

"Great! We're best buddies again, right Chikorita?"

"Chika!" She agreed, rubbing her head into his leg and he smiled before handing back my photos.

"They really helped Ruby, thank you. Chikorita especially liked the ones on the top." He told me so I pulled them from the envelope and took a look, Brock and Misty crowding around my shoulders.

"How about we go back inside and take a look at all of them?" I suggested. "The greenhouse looks much warmer than this corridor."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, jumping from my shoulder to Ash's. Chikorita blinked up at Ash, a moment of hurt flashing through her eyes but he turned a smile down to her.

"Come on Chikorita, the other shoulder is just for you." He told her and her face lit up with joy.

"Chika!" She sprang up and nuzzled into Ash's face as he laughed and turned to head back into the greenhouse. I spread out the photos and together we looked over them all, picking out our favourites. Chikorita chose the one where she was kissing Ash's face when she first joined our group and I'll admit, it was an adorable photo.

Misty chose her favourite to be the one where she was playing with all her water Pokémon and they had been splashing in a lake, the droplets all catching the light and the high definition of my camera caught each sparkle to perfection. "These are all amazing Ruby, I just can't decide!" Brock said, looking over them all.

"Well I have my favourite and its right here!" He declared and I looked with a smile to see a photo of Ash sitting on the ground surrounded by his Pokémon, Chikorita sitting on his head with a bright smile and Pikachu settled in his lap.

Pikachu's favourite was a close up of himself, swallowing the entire picture with a cheeky grin and I guessed it must have been one Ash took when they had been messing around with my camera. "Pikachu!"

"You look great Pikachu." I told him with a smile then looked down to the photos spread around me. There were so many to choose from I couldn't even decide. There the ones from my flights in the sky with Pidgeotto and Charizard, the ones were I played with Eevee and Dratini, captured when one of the others had got a hold of my camera, there was even the ones I had taken of Team Rocket covered in snow from our sneak attack back at the mountain lodge. "Well, you guys are free to take your favourites." I told them with a chuckle. "I've got them all saved on memory stick so I can always just print more."

"Thanks Ruby! What do you think Chikorita, shall we keep this one of you and me?" He asked and Chikorita nodded her head, lifting up the photo with her vines to give it to him. He selected a few more, including Pikachu's favourite before tucking them safely away, though I had already snapped up some more photos of us all looking at the photos and comparing with one another. It was definitely a good start to the day, I just hope everything got better from then on.


	9. Chapter 9

"Don't tell me we're lost _again_!" I complained, throwing my hands up in the air. "I thought you were following the map!"

"I was but there seems to be a problem with it!" Brock answered, pulling it back from his face to show us. "I think Psyduck got to it again." We all look to see a large slobbery mess over the spot where we were supposed to be and it was near impossible to read it. Oh great.

"You guys don't need to worry about a thing." Ash said proudly. "Who needs a map when all we need to do is cut through the woods until we run into the road!"

"And how many times has this plan worked before?" I asked him. "Need I go through all the times you got us lost because you didn't want to follow the map?" Ash jumped and gave a guilty laugh, unable to answer because I was right. Oh well, looks like we'll just have to follow my compass, that should at least help us head in the right direction to Azalea Town. Suddenly we were rudely interrupted by someone shouting out to us.

"Hey! You!" A guy with dark purple hair and a mean attitude walked out, peering at us sceptically. "Have you kids seen any Cyndaquil around here?" He asked and instantly Ash was frantic.

"What Cyndaquil?! Where? Where? Where?!" He began looking around, darting from bush to bush. "I don't see 'em!"

"Beats me, I heard there were supposed to be wild ones all over the place." I arched an eyebrow then looked at Ash as he fell into a bush.

"Come on out Cyndaquil! Woah!" I quickly grabbed the back of his jacket and lifted him upright before he could cut himself on a twig.

"Listen here kid! You better stay away from the Cyndaquil if you know what's good for you!" He tried to threaten but Ash was totally oblivious, racing about the place and calling out for Cyndaquil. "I said to stay away! Runt!" Okay, that's the final straw. What is this guy's problem?

"Look, what makes you think you have the right to tell him what he can and can't do?" Brock demanded and I was infinitely glad that he was older than the rest of us.

"Whoever finds the Cyndaquil first has the right to catch it fair and square." Misty said and the three of us glared at the guy as he growled.

"Says who? Just stay out of my way and stay away from the Cyndaquil!"

"Well maybe they got scared off by your bad attitude." I answered simply, placing my hands on my hips. "Cyndaquil are naturally shy and if you come in here stomping your massive clodhoppers then you can bet they'd run for the hills."

"Who asked you shrimp?" That struck a nerve. A very big one.

"How dare you?! That's it, I challenge you to a Pokémon battle you little punk! I'll show you shrimp and after I win, you can clear off and leave all the Cyndaquil here alone!" I yelled, making to pelt at him but Misty and Brock smartly held me back by the arms though I kicked out with my feet. "Let me at him! Let me at that little loser!" He laughed with amusement, which only made my eyes glow red with rage.

"You'd better keep _that_ one under control. Get a leash for it or something. I've got better things to do with my time." With that he turned around and head off into the bushes. Only was he gone did Misty and Brock let me go.

"Ugh! I'll get him next time." I growled then turned around. "He's a jerk if I ever did see one. He makes Gary look like a cute little puppy. Right Ash? Ash?" I looked around only to find he was gone. "Oh great. Now we have to go find him."

"It's okay, he's got Pikachu and his Pokémon with him so he shouldn't be in any danger." Brock said as we began to track our Ash down.

"It's not Ash I'm worried about, it's the forest. He's more likely to plough into a tree and knock it over rather than go around it when he has his mind set on something, and right now he wants a Cyndaquil." I answered and Misty giggled.

"You got that right!" But after ten minutes of fruitless searching and looking, there was still no Ash and still no Pikachu. "Ash should know better than to run off like that."

"Yeah, but we all know he becomes a different person when he's after a Pokémon." Brock answered and Togepi trilled happily in Misty's arms.

"Alright Pidgeotto, come on out!" I called, smiling up as I let Pidgeotto out of her Pokéball. "Hey there, Ash has run off so do you think you could maybe check for him from the sky?"

"Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto nodded her head then rose up, soaring into the air then began to follow the path we were taking to keep an eye out for Ash.

"How far away did he get?" Misty sighed as we continued our walk. Suddenly there was a rustle and we stopped, blinking as turned to see if it was Ash coming back for food after a long and tiresome hunt.

"Lost in the woods? Prepare for trouble!" Oh no, not them again! Haven't they had enough of being blasted away by us?

"Hand over the goods or we'll make it double!" Why'd they always show up when it's totally not convenient? Ash and Pikachu aren't even here!

"It's Team Rocket!" Brock said and a massive robot Meowth thing dropped down with a crash, making the earth shake and I instantly clung onto Misty and Brock to help support one another, crying out as the trembling made us stumble until it finally stopped.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie…"

"James…." The amulet peeled back with a mechanical whir and the Team Rocket trio rose up from within the ugly robot.

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth finished, popping up cheerfully before looking down at us. "But this ain't!"

"Uh! Where are Pikachu and the twerp?" Jessie demanded so Misty shouted back up to them.

"Neither of them are here right now!"

"Whoops." Jessie said before smirking. "In that case we take all that back. Let's go."

"Roger." James saluted and they disappeared back down, started up their engines then sprang away back into the forest, leaping through the trees in search of Ash and Pikachu as they left us in a bitter tasting dust cloud.

"We can't let them get away and we can't let them get to Ash!" I said, recovering first. "Pidgeotto! Follow after them! Lead the way!" I called and Pidgeotto swooped down.

"Pidgeo!" She nodded then flew off to the west, showing us the path Team Rocket had forged for us. We raced as fast as we could, not breaking pace as we leaped over any debris and followed Pidgeotto as she glided through the trees, easily weaving through them.

"This isn't working, we're just losing them!" Brock said before turning to me. "Ruby, you're way faster than us, you go on ahead and we'll get there as soon as we can. Ash might need your help."

"Right." I nodded my head then began to increase my speed. "Pidgeotto let's go!" I yelled and the trees began to blur past, flashes of green and brown before they were left far behind me. "Get ready Pidgeotto!" I called up to her and instantly she lowered her altitude, registering my meaning and when I jumped, she gripped my hands in her talons and she lifted me up, carrying me over a large mound of rocks to then glide through the forest, following after Team Rocket and their Meowth machine.

Pidgeotto called out, spotting the machine before I did and she began to spiral down with me. It seemed Ash had taken care of everything because the robot was already beginning to blow apart, shooting Team Rocket up into the air and out of sight.

"Alright!" I cheered, smiling as Pidgeotto let me go and I dropped down to the ground. "Ash! Ash are you okay?" I called, running over to him and Pikachu as they stood up.

"Yeah we're fine. But where's Cyndaquil?"

"Cyndaquil? What do you mean?" I asked then looked around to see a Pokéball on the ground. "You mean you caught it?" I asked, going over and picking up the Pokéball to hand it Ash.

"You bet I did! I was afraid it would get hurt by the blast so I caught it to make sure it was safe." Ash said before turning. "Go! Cyndaquil!" The cute little mouse Pokémon appeared with a flash of light, whereby it then looked around in confusion.

"Quil? Cynda, Cyndaquil!"

"Oh! We were worried Cyndaquil, are you okay?" Ash asked as he rushed over to it. Cyndaquil nodded its head with a little squeak, making me smile.

"Aw, that's just adorable." I smiled, kneeling down with a smile. "Hey there, I'm Ruby." I said and it smiled to me.

"Cyndaquil!" Ash laughed and knelt down, glad to see his new Pokémon was okay.

"That's good. Pikachu and I were wondering if you used that Flamethrower attack back there to help us get away from Team Rocket." In answer Cyndaquil lifted its head and gave a long, drawn out squeal which made Ash smile. "I could tell you were more than just a powerful Pokémon but an extra nice one too!" I chuckled then sat down on the ground.

"How about I just take a look at you, huh? Make sure you didn't get hurt from that blast." I suggested then looked at Pikachu. "You too buddy, hop on." I said and Pikachu beamed up at me.

"Pi Pikachu!" He jumped into my lap and I began to gently massage his arms, shoulders and body to make sure he was okay, listening for any signs of pain but Pikachu simply enjoyed the relaxing sensations. "Chuuuu…!"

"Okay, you're all good." I smiled down at him. "Healthy as ever. You're next Cyndaquil, don't be shy." I held out a hand to the Pokémon who drew back slightly. "It doesn't hurt one bit. I just want to make sure you're not injured."

"Yeah Cyndaquil, Ruby's one of the best at this. Give it a try." Ash encouraged so Cyndaquil nervously stepped forwards. I carefully lifted him up then turned him around, beginning my work and Cyndaquil instantly relaxed, giving a soft squeal and clapped his hands together as I gently worked my fingers into his tiny little shoulders.

Once I was done and found nothing wrong, I gave the thumbs up to Ash. "We're all good." I told him and he sighed with relief.

"That's good to hear. Come on, let's go find Misty and Brock." He said, standing up but then a voice shouted from above us.

"Not so fast!" I looked up to see that rude and mean guy standing above us with his Sandslash. "That Cyndaquil is mine! So step away and keep out of this." Ash instantly stepped in front of Cyndaquil and spread his arms wide to shield him.

"This Cyndaquil is mine, I already caught it!" He shouted back up and shock crashed onto the strange guy's features. "So you can just go away and leave us alone!" I looked down to see Cyndaquil starting to take a hike so I picked him up and held him to me gently.

"He didn't mean you Cyndaquil, he's talking about that big meanie up there." I explained as said meanie jumped down to the ground.

"What? That's not fair!" He whined. "I challenge you to a battle, the winner gets to keep Cyndaquil!" I frowned.

"Why would Ash do that? Cyndaquil is his Pokémon and even if you won and Ash handed Cyndaquil over, it would still be Ash's Pokémon and it wouldn't listen to a thing you said." I told him, taking a step backwards. "Besides, I'm the one holding Cyndaquil and I have no problem just running away with it if you're going to be such a jerk about it."

"It's none of your business you little brat! This is between me and him." He pointed to Ash who instantly glared.

"Don't talk to Ruby that way! It's not very nice!" Having had enough of looking at that stupid kid I was about to call for Pidgeotto but she was already diving down.

"Pidgeo!" She began to Peck at the stranger's head, making him yell and run around the clearing trying to shake her off.

"Get off! Get off! Get it off of me!" She shrieked in an octave not even I could reach. I stared as Pidgeotto gave him what for until I broke out in a grin.

"Oh yeah, that's my old friend Pidgeotto. I guess she didn't like the way you spoke to me either." I informed him simply as the Sandslash ran after its trainer, trying to swipe at Pidgeotto but she was too quick to be hit. "Pidgeotto? How about you show this good gentleman the way out of here?" I suggested and Pidgeotto nodded her head.

"Pidgeo!" She grabbed the guy by the fabric at his shoulders and lifted him off the ground, swinging him around and around as he yelled. His Sandslash jumped up and hugged his legs, gripping on tightly as Pidgeotto picked up the speed, whipping a small whirlwind before she let go and both trainer and Pokémon flew through the air in the same fashion as Team Rocket.

"Mommy!" I heard the distant echo of his last cry and giggled.

"Well, that settles that. Good job Pidgeotto." I beamed at her as she landed on a rock.

"Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil agreed, lifting its little paws in celebration so I handed him back over to Ash. Well, now that that's all over, let's go get some lunch! Oh wait…we'd better find Brock and Misty first.


	10. Chapter 10

We made it. We finally made it. Azalea Town! But what's with all the Slowpoke? There are literally hundreds of them everywhere! I looked around curiously, seeing their blank expressions then looked at the ground.

With a sigh a pinched a little of Ash's jacket and pulled him to the left, making sure he didn't tread on the Slowpoke's tail. "Hey what…oh." Ash said as he looked down, his foot lifted up in the air as I kept him leaning towards me. "Thanks Ruby."

"Don't mention it." I said. "Come on, let's go meet Kurt." I said so we head further into the town centre to search for his house. It was easy enough to find, seeing as it was so big, but also we only had to ask and someone pointed it out to us.

When we knocked on the door a little girl opened it for us, blinking sweetly as she stared. "Hi, my name's Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town and I have something for Kurt, it's from Professor Oak." He said and the girl instantly gasped.

"Oh! You're finally here! Grandpa said you'd be arriving any day now, come on in." She smiled, standing aside and let us all in. "This way! You can come and join us for some tea! My name is Maisy and it's nice to meet you all" She said brightly and showed us through to the front room where a severe looking old man sat sipping a cup.

"Ah. There you are. I was beginning to think you had gotten lost." He said and I smiled, rubbing the back of my head.

"We did. Several times." I answered then gave a respectful bow. "My name is Ruby, this is Ash and our friends Misty and Brock." I introduced. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you sir." Everyone else called out a hi as he stood and bowed back.

"Welcome to my home. Now, young man, I've heard much about you from Professor Oak. I believe you have something for me." Ash nodded and drew out the G-S ball, handing it over to Kurt who gave it a quick inspection. "Ah! This ball is…"

"I'm going to explode if I have to wait another second!" Brock declared as we all leaned forwards.

"You've just got to tell us everything you know about it!" Misty agreed, hardly able to contain her excitement as Ash and I spoke together.

"The suspense is killing us!"

"Alright!" Kurt said, hushing us down. "It's clear that the ball is…"

"It's clear that the ball is…?" We echoed as he paused, still inspecting it closely before he put it down and sat up straight.

"Some kind of Pokéball." We all collapsed and groaned, Misty throwing Togepi up into the air before stretching out her hands and catching her again.

"Next thing you know he'll tell us it's round." Ash said as Misty continued her disappointed and blank expression.

"Or yellow." Kurt gave a guilty laugh, scratching the back of his head as he continued.

"I'm so sorry, I really hate to disappoint you children. Once I've had a closer look at it I might be able to say more." He said but then Ash turned to me.

"Hey Ruby, why don't you just do you magic thing?" He suggested. "Why didn't I think of this before? I'm a genius!"

"Because genius…" I said, smacking him on the back of the head. "Professor Oak told me not to try and tamper with it. I tried to suggest that idea back at the lab but he said no. Remember?" Ash frowned and thought deeply.

"Oh yeah, something like that."

"Don't worry you guys. If anyone can figure this out it's my grandpa!" Maisy said optimistically so I smiled and nodded to her.

"You're right Maisy."

"Thanks a lot for trying to help us out, Kurt." Ash said as Pikachu leaped off his shoulder to chase after Togepi. "We'd better call Professor Oak to tell him we got here safe." He said, standing up and we followed suit.

"Good idea. You can use my phone, it's by the door over there." Kurt directed so I made the call and waited for it to be received. When Professor Oak's face appeared I smiled and waved at him.

"Hey Professor Oak! We're here!" I cheered to him and Ash beamed.

"We're calling you all the way from Kurt's house in Azalea Town."

"Ah, so you finally made it. Have you had a chance to give Kurt the G-S ball like I asked you to?" Professor Oak asked and we all nodded our heads.

"We gave it to him right away like you said." Misty told him so Professor Oak gestured for more information.

"And? What happened?"

"He's never seen anything like it so he doesn't know what it is either." Brock said and Professor Oak sighed in disappointment before perking back up again.

"Oh really?"

"He did promise us he'd try to figure it out though." Ash said so Professor Oak nodded his head.

"In that case I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if you learn anything new. It's good to know that it's in capable hands even if Kurt didn't know what it was right away. Whilst your there I suggest you ask Kurt about apricorns. I think you'll find the experience and education fascinating." Professor Oak said before nodding his head. "Take care all of you. Oh, and Ruby, your egg is picking up a little. It's finally beginning to stabilise at a good level."

"Awesome!" I breathed happily, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks professor! See you soon!" With that he cut the call and I stood up. "Anyone have any idea what he was talking about with the apricorns?" I asked and the others shook their heads.

"Not a clue." Ash said before smiling. "Let's go ask! Come on!" With that he rushed off to find Kurt and we followed after him though he wasn't anywhere in the house. Strange, he was here a minute ago. "Hey Maisy!" Ash called, waving a hand to her. "Where's your grandpa?" He asked and she turned around to look inside the door she was guarding.

"He's crafting a Pokéball, so keep it down all of you! It's hard enough to work without all that noise." Ash blinked in surprise.

"Oh…sorry."

"What's he doing?" Misty asked as she peered inside, seeing Kurt as he began to hammer away at a glowing round object. We watched him hammer away before he dipped it into clear, fresh water to cool it down until finally, he put it back in the furnace.

"I think that should just about do it." Kurt said, wiping his brow as he stood. "Huh? Hi kids." He said as he turned around and spotted us. "I thought I heard something."

"Hi Kurt, I was wondering…"

"You'll have to give me a little more time to get an answer on that G-S ball, I've fallen a little behind in my work you see." Kurt told him but Ash shook his head.

"Actually I was going to ask about something else. If you make special Pokéballs, I was wondering if you would give me one to catch Pokémon with." Misty squeaked then glared at Ash.

"Ash! Don't be so rude! You don't just announce that you want something like that." Misty scolded him.

"Yeah, I thought we were going to ask about them first." I agreed then turned to Kurt. "How do you make your Pokéballs so different Kurt?" It was Maisy, however, who answered.

"Well you see, grandpa makes Pokéballs out of apricorn, which comes in seven different colours. White, red, blue, black, pink, green and yellow! There's a different Pokéball made from each different coloured apricorn, and each special Pokéball has its own name, its own special colours and its own specific uses." Maisy explained and Ash nodded his head.

"I get it, there's more than one kind of Pokéball! In that case I want one of each colour!"

"You don't have to be so greedy about it Ash." Misty said to him but Kurt shook his head.

"If you really want some then I'll be happy to make some for you." Ash's face lit up and he stood up straighter as he looked at Kurt.

"You really mean it?"

"Sure I do Ash, all you'll have to do is bring me the apricorn." Kurt explained and I saw that gleam grow in Ash's eyes. "Here, how about you take these as your first samples." He suggested, holding out four strange looking Pokéballs. "These are known as Fast Balls, you use them on Pokémon who are likely to run away before you can battle them or the Pokémon is just too fast for you to keep up with." He told us and we each took one with a thank you.

"In the backyard, we only grow white apricorn. All the other colours grow up on the hills behind the house." Maisy told us. "I can take you there if you want me to."

"Sounds great! Right Pikachu? You wanna come into the hills with us to help find some apricorns?" He asked and Pikachu nodded his head.

"Pika Pika!" So Maisy squeezed through us and ran off down the patio to lead us towards the hills.

"Come on! I'll show you the way!" She called and we had to run to keep up with her as she didn't stop until we stood before an apricorn tree, a pink one to be exact. It was a light and pleasant shade of pink and the leaves whistled softly in the wind. "This one's a pink apricorn tree." Maisy told us.

"Cool!" Ash said as we all looked up at them.

"It's easy to see where it got its name." Misty noted and Maisy explained what they were used for.

"These are used to make Love Balls, they work best when you're trying to catch Pokémon of a different gender." Instantly Brock was wide awake and alert.

"Hmm…do you suppose a Pokéball made from this tree would help me catch Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny?" Brock asked but Misty grabbed his ear to snap him back into sense.

"She didn't say they were magic!" Misty said as Brock groaned in pain.

"Cool, I'll just take a couple." Ash said but Maisy called out and folded her arms.

"No you won't!" She told Ash firmly and he looked back at her. "Don't even touch them! Those apricorn aren't ripe enough yet!" She wore an angry expression so Misty tried to cool down the situation.

"Maisy he didn't know!" But Maisy continued to glare.

"Never pick an apricorn before its ready and never ever pick too many at once! Otherwise you'll just end up damaging the whole entire tree!" She directed as Ash came humbly back.

"Sorry about that."

"You sure know a lot, don't you Maisy?" Misty noted gently.

"Well what do you expect? She is Kurt's granddaughter after all." Brock reminded us and Maisy smiled proudly.

"That's right!" The next we found was a yellow apricorn tree which Maisy instantly began to teach us about. "See that one? That's a yellow apricorn tree and it becomes a Moon Ball. They work on Pokémon that use Moon Stones to evolve." She told us. Speaking of which, I have a few of those in my bag.

"You could use one of those to catch a Clefairy." Brock said and Ash smiled excitedly.

"This should only take a second!" He darted forwards but Maisy glared at him.

"Get back here!"

"Now what?" Ash asked so Maisy pointed upwards.

"Look there, see anything else in the tree?" I turned and looked a little closer to see little bunches of something that didn't look like leaves sticking out from one of the trees.

"What's that thing?" I pulled out Dexter and he showed me a picture of a Pokémon that looked exactly like a pinecone.

"Pineco, the Bagworm Pokémon. Appears calm as it hangs quietly on tree branches, but it will self-destruct at the slightest provocation." It informed me to I looked up at the Pokémon curiously.

"I think it's scary, it looks like a grenade." Misty said but Brock merely smiled up at them.

"That's why it's cool! I want a Pineco!"

"And how are you going to keep it from self-destructing?" Misty asked him with worry but Brock looked as calm as usual.

"What sort of breeder would pass up a challenge like that?" He answered simply before looking up to the sky with a lifted fist, smiling in wonder as he spoke. "Sometimes a breeder's road is a rocky path, but it's important to meet all challenges head on!" With that he darted forwards in a much similar fashion to Ash, which instantly told me that this was headed for disaster.

"Hey stay away from there!" Maisy called but Brock was still running, lifting up a Pokéball.

"Ready or not, here I come Pineco!" With that he tripped over on a small rock and went splat into the tree trunk with his face. Yup, _exactly_ like Ash. The Pineco began to glow, three of them dropping down and they blew up in Brock's face, tossing him backwards with a little singing on the side.

"Brock! Are you okay?" We called as we raced forwards.

"He met it head on alright." Ash said as we helped Brock to stand up.

"Like I said, it's a rocky path." He excused, shaking himself off as Maisy sighed.

"In his case it's more ways than one." Now that the Pineco had been disturbed they were watching us all like haws so we backtracked a little.

"Come on Pikachu, let's get those apricorn!" Ash said and charged forwards but with my eyes closed I reached out and snagged his collar, keeping him still despite the fact he was running as fast as he could on the spot. "Just a little further!"

"Cool it genius, leave this one to me." I said, reaching back and pulled out my flute. Turning around I began to play a soothing melody and the Pineco all began to sigh and relax at the sound, drifting off to sleep as I walked forwards with Maisy and Misty, my music keeping them still as Misty helped to pick the apricorn down from the tree at Maisy's whispered direction.

We picked no more than four before Maisy tugged on my jacket and I looked down at her, smiling as I played the flute then followed her out of there. "That was awesome! How did you learn to play like that?" Maisy asked me and I shrugged.

"I learned to play when I was little kid with a recorder, and I love music so I just practiced until I got the notes right." I explained, putting the flute away. "So, where next?" Maisy showed us to a grove which was full of green apricorn.

"These are the kind used to make Friend Balls. They make the Pokémon you captured much friendlier towards you." Maisy said with a smile. "Go ahead and pick some, these ones are ready." Maisy said and Ash bounded forwards.

"Alright!" Suddenly a hoard of Beedrill appeared and everyone screamed in fear but I already had my flute in hand and was playing another melody. The Beedrill stopped their aggressive stance and just sat there in the air, buzzing quickly as Ash slowly and carefully slipped around behind them, going over the nearest tree to grab a couple then raced back with all haste with a panicked look on his face as the others ran for cover too.

I stepped back slowly, watching the Beedrill then ended the song, regarding them carefully and calmly as they did the same, their wings buzzing sharply in my ears but after a moment, they turned and flew back to their nests.

"Wow, that was awesome too!" Maisy said to me as I returned to them. "How did you do that?"

"Ruby has a really special connection with all Pokémon." Misty said proudly. "Sometimes she can even hear their thoughts." Maisy's eyes sparkled as I blushed modestly.

"That's only happened once and it was an emergency. Please Maisy, don't ask me questions about it because I honestly can't give you an answer." I told her. "Let's go find the next tree, shall we?"

"Okay then I won't. The next tree is this way." She pointed and began to lead us uphill. It was a steep climb and Ash began to groan, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"I'm starting to get really tired. I didn't think it would be this hard."

"Grandpa says picking Pokéballs is much more complicated than people think it is." She recited with pride before opening her eyes and looking ahead. "That tree right there is a red apricorn tree. That's what we use to make Level Balls. They're better used on Pokémon that have less experience than others might."

"Alright, nothing's going to stop me from getting one of those apricorns!" Ash yelled and he ran on ahead with the others whilst I walked calmly behind. Suddenly the ground gave way and the group dropped down into the ground with a yell, making me surge forwards.

"Hey! Are you guys alright?" I asked as I looked down with a frown. Well, it looks like history repeats itself. Repeatedly. How come I never fall down a hole?

"We're alright, just toss us a rope or something so we can get out!" Misty called up from the bottom.

"Right." I nodded then unslung my backpack to pull out my rope.

"You should watch where you're going, it'll prepare you for…hey! How come this twerp didn't fall into a beautifully placed trap?" Jessie yelled in rage as Team Rocket appeared. "How dare you foil our perfect plan, get down there!" She moved to try and shove me in but I flipped back over my head, glaring at her.

"I don't think so. I've had enough of your stupid pranks Team Rocket!" I yelled, flicking out the rope then tossed one end to James who caught it then held on, blinking in confusion.

"Hey? What are you giving me this for?" He asked so I smiled to him.

"Just stand right there." I said then began to race around the two of them, gluing them together with the rope. "And suck it in!"

"How dare you?! You little brat!" Jessie yelled as I secured the rope in then pushed them over to the ground. "Meowth get us out of here!"

"Looks like we're a little tied up at the moment!" James complained as he kicked and struggled to get out. I looked up to see Ash's Bulbasaur helping to pull out the others so I quickly grabbed my Bulbasaur's Pokéball.

"Bulbasaur, let's lend a hand!" I called, throwing the Pokéball up into the air with a spin. "Come on out!"

"Bulbasaur!" He called as he appeared. "Bulbasaur Saur!" Meowth leaped forwards, claws extended as he glared at me.

"You've meddled with our plans for the last time kid, meet my Fury Swipes!" He yelled and leaped through the air towards me.

"Alright Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!" I directed and Bulbasaur instantly shot its vines up at Meowth, snapping them around his middle. "Now take him for a spin!"

"Saur!" Bulbasaur nodded then began to spin Meowth through the air as he yelled.

"Me-OWOWOWOW!" Meowth cried as Bulbasaur kept him busy.

"Meowth! What are you doing?" Jessie yelled as she and James struggled in my trap. "Stop playing around and untie us!"

"Now Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" Bulbasaur let go of Meowth and sent a Razor Leaf attack at him, hitting him with each leaf causing him to yelp aloud. Somehow Jessie and James managed to untie themselves the same moment Brock was pulled up from the hole they dug.

"That's it, I've finished with you twerps!" Jessie growled as James pointed to us.

"You'll regret ever trying to stop us!"

"Meowth that's right!" Meowth groaned as he landed in front of them. "These apricorns here are ours and we're going to make them into a big money bundle!" He told us but I shook my head, Bulbasaur leaping to stand in front of me.

"I don't think so!" I yelled back at them and was about to call out a new attack for Bulbasaur when Team Rocket suddenly looked at the ground.

"Huh?" Then it collapsed underneath them. "Argh!" The three of them dropped down into the ground. Huh? What happened there?

"They're gone! Just like that!" Maisy said as we all stared down into the bottomless pit that Team Rocket had fallen down.

"I wonder who dug this hole." Misty said as we continued to look down. I don't know. Wouldn't put it past Team Rocket to fall down one of their own holes. Suddenly the ground in front of us popped up with little Diglett, bouncing up and down in the soil.

"Digle-dig! Digle-dig!" They sang and I smiled at the little cuties.

"Diglett!" We all chorused as they continued to stare at us.

"I get it! The Diglett must guard and protect the apricorn tree." Brock said and Maisy lifted her head with a smile.

"That's because if the apricorn tree gets hurt then the forest will be ruined, and if the forest gets ruined then the mountains do too! And if the mountains get ruined then none of the Pokémon will have a place to live!" She realised and Ash looked up with a smile to the apricorn tree.

"That makes sense. The apricorn trees and the Pokémon rely on each other." Maisy picked up her basket of apricorns then together we added a sparse few of red ones before moving onto the next one.

"You can probably tell by looking at them that these are blue apricorn." Maisy said to us and Ash laughed.

"Wow! Just look at them!" Maisy nodded her head as we stood there admiring the trees.

"Grandpa uses the apricorn from these trees to make Lure Balls, which are the best kind for water Pokémon." Instantly Misty squealed, beaming from ear to ear.

"Oh! I wish I could have one of those!" In answer Maisy peered closely at the trees, searching for any ripe ones.

"You see those at the front? Those are all ready to be picked!" Misty and Ash ran forwards and grabbed one each with excitement, twisting them from their branch before returning with their prizes. Suddenly Maisy gasped and I looked to her and then to where she was looking, over to a single tree up on the hill.

"Look at how big that black apricorn tree got!"

"What kind of Pokéball do you make with those?" Misty asked so Maisy looked up at her.

"Those are used to make Heavy Balls, they're great to use on Pokémon that weigh a lot."

"Oh?" Ash said then smiled over to the tree. "I bet that would come in handy!" He put away his blue apricorn then raced over to the tree, intent on grabbing one of the black apricorns but was stopped in his tracks when a group of Pineco dropped down to watch him carefully.

"Whoo! Now's my chance!" Brock said, leaping forwards again for a second chance at catching a Pineco. "Eenie meanie minie mo! Catch a Pineco by the toe!" Suddenly a large wind built up, enough so that the Pineco began to fall out of the tree. "Argh!" Brock leaped forwards and caught the first one that dropped, setting it down carefully on the ground then lunged to catch another though at the third that dropped the wind halted and laughter rang out instead.

"Team Rocket!" We all echoed one another, glaring up on the rise where Team Rocket sat on a weird bike machine which obviously powered up the fan. Don't they ever give up? We've already got rid of them once today! Obviously they just can't take a hint.

"Behold! Team Rocket's new and improved technologically advanced economy model apricot harvesting machine!" James called down to us, trying to paint up the fact that it was just a fan.

"No it's not! That's just some crummy old fan!" Misty shouted back but Jessie wouldn't hear it.

"If you speak so unkindly about fans then you'll never be as famous as we are." She replied and I arched my eyebrows.

"As for this machine we have an unlimited power supply!" James added.

"Ha! We're just hoping this scheme will make us so much money that this bike will be the last thing we'll ever have to pedal." Meowth told us before they began to pedal. Light bulbs began to light up and the wind picked up again and I grabbed onto Maisy to keep her safe, though she turned into me and held on tight so I didn't worry about her blowing away.

"Hey you! Get back here!" Brock yelled, chasing after a Pineco as it tried to hop away whilst Brock was helping to save the others from hitting ground and exploding.

"Stop it it's bad for the apricorn!" Maisy yelled so I hugged her a little tighter to try and comfort her.

"I'll handle this! Pikachu, get them with your Thunderbolt!" Ash called so I let him deal with Team Rocket. Pikachu leaped forwards and shot a bolt towards the machine but the lights only shot further up the board. Hey…was it absorbing Pikachu's electricity?

"Hold on!"

"Stop it Ash, it's only hurting us!" Misty said to Ash but then Brock called out.

"No!" I looked to see Pineco charging up the hill then smash into Team Rocket, knocking them off the bike and stopping the fan.

"Change of plan, get that thing!" Jessie growled, pointing at Pineco with a hiss. That's the last I heard until I saw Pineco come hopping down the hill with Arbok chasing after it. Suddenly it stopped and jumped up, letting Arbok slide underneath him in a missed Tackle before it turned and began to climb back up the hill again.

"What's that Pineco doing? Is it Self Destruct?" Ash stepped forwards as we all watched as events unfolded.

"We've got to figure out a way to stop it!" Misty called ahead to Brock who shouted after Pineco.

"Pineco get back here right now!"

"Use the Fast Ball! You can catch that Pineco with the Fast Ball!" Maisy shouted wisely and Brock nodded his head before drawing out the Pokéball then threw it forwards. It bounced off Pineco and sucked it inside just as Arbok lunged for it, making it miss and crash into Team Rocket and the bike.

Brock caught the ball as it flew back to him, watching it quiver in his hand before it bleeped, signalling Pineco had been caught. Ash and I ran forwards, standing protectively in front of the tree. "You might as well give up now Team Rocket!" Ash yelled.

"You've got nothing left now, so just leave it alone!" I agreed as Jessie and James sat up.

"You twerps are really trying our patience!" James yelled at us.

"Time to go back to our original plan!"

"It's tired and true." Meowth said before hastily correcting himself. "I mean tried and true!" Suddenly we had both Arbok and Victreebel bearing down on us, aiming mainly for Pikachu who leaped back at the last second so they crashed into the ground.

"Pikachu use Quick Attack!" Ash called and Pikachu darted forwards, easily slamming into the stunned Pokémon and they flew back to their trainers, crushing them back into the ground. "Now use Thunder!"

"Pika…CHUUUUU!" Pikachu threw out his arms and shot the powerful bolt of electricity at Team Rocket, shocking them and the bike so that the lights shot up the scale before the whole thing exploded.

I laughed, racing forwards and yelled to the sky. "Altogether now! Team Rocket's blasting off again!" I chorused as they rushed off for their next appointment in style. "Woo! That's the way to do it Pikachu!" I cheered then whirled around, punching both fists into the air. "I love Pokémon journeys!"

"We did it!" Ash celebrated as we turned to each other and high fived then gripped each other's fist.

"Now all the apricorn trees are safe." Misty smiled with Maisy who exhaled a big sigh of relief. Brock looked to his Pokéball then smiled.

"It's over now, Pineco, come on out." Brock invited and the Pokéball opened, Pineco settling in his arms. "I know I caught you under strained circumstances, but I think it's safe to say that we're going to be good friends." Brock told him and Pineco smiled. Suddenly he began to glow, making Brock's face drop but it was too late. Pineco used Self Destruct and blew up in Brock's face. "Uh…I guess it wasn't safe to say."

We all laughed at Brock's expense until Ash got hit on the head by a black apricorn, which only made me laugh harder. "Ow! Hey what gives?" Ash groaned, catching the apricorn in one hand.

"Be careful! They're very valuable!" Maisy warned him, holding out a hand.

"In that case, maybe I should place this in more capable hands." I said, plucking the apricorn out of Ash's hand as he blinked.

"Hey! My hands are capable!" He argued but I merely smiled and turned to face Maisy, holding it out to her.

"Here you go, you take care of that." I said and she giggled before putting it carefully into her basket. "Let's get these back to Kurt, I can't wait to see how they turn out." I said then began to run away. "I'll race you Ash!"

"No you won't! It won't be a race because I'll beat you easy!" He yelled back to me, running at full pelt to try and catch up so I laughed then ran faster. We made it all the way back to Kurt's house without breaking stride but when we got to the door we were puffed out completely.

When the others got back we quickly handed over all the apricorns we had collected and Kurt nodded his head approvingly, inspecting them all before smiling at us. "All you have to do is leave it to me, I promise you that when I get through with them, these'll be the finest Pokéballs yet!" He vowed and I smiled with excitement. I can't wait to see what they all look like at the end!

"I can't wait!" Ash smiled but then Brock brought our excitement down to a more serious level.

"Speaking of Pokéballs, did you happen to find out anything about the G-S ball yet?" Kurt handed the apricorns over to his granddaughter to pull the G-S ball from within his robe, looking at it with deep thought.

"It's simple yet complex, classic but bold, advanced whilst somehow primitive." So…a paradox within a paradox. Right? "In other words, I don't have a clue." Ash groaned, clawing at his face.

"You're kidding right?"

"I simply don't know who designed this thing but it's protected by a very powerful lock. There must be a way to break that lock but I don't know what it is." Maisy looked up at her grandfather with surprise.

"You mean there's something you don't know, grandpa?"

"I mean I don't know yet!" He corrected quickly. "I'm positive I could get to the bottom of this with enough time. Would you kids mind terribly if I kept this G-S ball just a little bit longer?" Kurt asked and we all shook our heads.

"Of course not." I assured him then looked to Ash.

"It's fine with me." He agreed.

"Just make sure you let Professor Oak know whenever you find out anything new." Brock said and Kurt nodded his head.

"Sure!" He told us and I exhaled softly. Glad that's all over with, now we can head to the Azalea gym and win some badges!

"You ready for another tough battle Ash?" I asked him and he nodded his head.

"You bet! Let's go!" He called then raced off, Brock running after him but both Misty and I stayed back, torn between going and leaving.

"Oh…uh…guess we'll be coming back for the apricorn balls later." Misty said with a smile before turning around. "Wait for me!"

"Thanks a lot Kurt, Maisy, see you soon!" I bowed to them both then hurried after Misty. "Wait for me too!"

"Bye! Good luck with your gym battle!" Maisy yelled and I waved over my shoulder before racing out the house to follow Ash and try beat him to the gym. Because I want to go first this time!


	11. Chapter 11

"Well, this is it." Ash said as we looked up at the Azalea gym, a massive glass, dome shaped greenhouse. Maybe the gym leader uses bug Pokémon? "Hello? Anybody here?" Ash called out but there wasn't an answer.

"Brock, are you sure this is the right place?" Misty questioned as we took a step inside. "This looks more like a garden than a Pokémon gym."

"Well it may look like a garden but according to the guidebook it's the Azalea town gym." I looked around and inhaled the fresh air before smiling.

"I like it." I decided as headed on inside.

"Come on, let's have a look around."

"Uh Ash? Maybe we should wait here." Misty suggested but Ash continued walking.

"The gym leader's got to be around here someplace." Ash mused quietly, looking around as we took the main path further into the greenhouse. Misty crept at the back of the pack, crouched over slightly as she tiptoed.

"I know we're inside but it feels like we're in a forest." Brock said and I agreed. There were literally trees in here. Living, breathing, tall trees.

"Well it feels to me that something creepy is about to jump out at us any second now." Misty said quietly, still nervously looking around her.

"What kind of something Misty?" I asked her so she continued, not looking where she was going.

"Probably something kind of slimy, slippery…ARGH! AAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Misty screamed then ran to the entrance of the gym faster than I had ever seen her run before, stopping only to be surrounded by startled Metapod and she screamed again and raced back, crouching down on the ground and covered her head in an attempt to protect herself. "I hate 'em! I hate bug Pokémon!"

"Misty are you okay?" Brock called as we all ran over. I quickly picked up the Caterpie, who was the culprit of all Misty's distress and smiled down at it.

"It's okay, I'll take you away from the scary redhead." I told it gently and I got a little squealing trill in reply as I carried it over to a sunny branch and settled it there away from Misty.

"This isn't a Pokémon gym it's a torture chamber!" Misty whined, struggling to get a grip of herself.

"Wrong miss!" A little voice called up from above and we all looked up. "This is definitely the Pokémon gym, the Azalea Town gym and if you don't mind me saying so miss, your ignorance is showing. Because everybody knows that bug Pokémon are the best Pokémon in the world!" The kid up in the tree told us, his shaggy purple hair framing his face with only a neatly cut fringe to keep it from his eyes.

"Don't you dare call me ignorant!" Misty growled angrily. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I don't have to tell you who I am." The kid answered, turning his face away. "You're the ones who ought to be telling me who you are." I walked forwards and placed my hands on my hips, tilting my hat back so I could get a good look at the kid.

"Well if you want help out of that tree I would say you should be a little more sensitive to your guests." I told him firmly. "You can see Misty is afraid of bug Pokémon and you should not be one to judge." In answer he glared down at me.

"Who says I'm stuck up here?!" He demanded so I just shrugged.

"You don't want help getting down?" He paused, thinking for a moment before sighing. Deciding to go easy on the kid I smiled and pointed to myself. "My name is Ruby. I'm a challenger here for a gym badge and so is Ash." I said, gesturing to him. "And these are our good friends and coaches, Misty and Brock."

"Oh! You're challengers!" He said, standing up on the branch and I tensed slightly with worry. I hope he doesn't fall. "Well I'm Bugsy, the Azalea Town gym leader and bug Pokémon are my specialty, and I know just about everything there is to know about them." He boasted and Ash stepped forwards.

"Okay, let's battle!" He challenged and Bugsy smirked.

"I accept all challenges! That's the job of a gym leader!" He told us proudly before blushing with embarrassment. "Now could you please get the ladder? I can't get down." I looked over to where the ladder had fallen and made to go get it with Ash when I heard Bugsy cry out from above.

"Watch out!" Brock yelled and I looked up to see Bugsy slip and fall.

"Help!" He cried out so I abandoned the ladder and leaped forwards, stretching out my arms and without thinking, caught Bugsy. Only thing was, he flattened me. I grunted from the hit, feeling the air being pressed from my lungs before wheezing.

"Ouch. That hurt." I pushed myself up and smiled at Bugsy who shook out his hair then looked at me. "Hey, you okay? That was some fall."

"Yeah I'm fine." He said with a little blush on his cheeks. "Thanks for the catch."

"No problem. Just do me a favour and please get off." I said and he blinked before quickly shooting to his feet.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." I assured him that everything was fine and that this sort of thing happened all the time. Only then was he satisfied and didn't look so embarrassed anymore. "Okay, so two challengers. Who's up first?" I quickly pressed my hand against Ash's face and shoved him out of the way, stepping forwards with a determined expression, not feeling anywhere near as nervous as I had before.

"I am. You better be ready because I like to battle with heat and speed!" I informed him.

"You got it. Come on, the battlefield is this way." He said then led the way.

"Hey no fair! I wanted to battle first!" Ash complained but I just stuck my tongue out at him.

"You battled Falkner first last time, so now it's my turn." I told him as I ran over to the box where I was to face Bugsy. The referee came once he had dressed in his official uniform before calling out the rules.

"This official Pokémon battle between the Azalea Town gym leader and Ruby Bates from Pallet Town is about to begin. Each trainer may use three Pokémon and only the challenger may substitute, a gym badge is at stake! Are the trainers ready?"

"You bet." I said, nodding my head as Bugsy smirked.

"If you are then I am too. I'm going to start off with one of my strongest bug Pokémon, so Spinarak! I choose you!" Okay, so I have two choices f0r my starting Pokémon. I could use either Pidgeotto or Charizard and both would have a type effect, however Charizard would have greater power and would be able to defeat these Pokémon a lot quicker than Pidgeotto. Yeah why not? I haven't battled with Charizard for a while. Maybe he'll enjoy some playtime.

"Okay, then I'll choose one of my strongest Pokémon too! Go Charizard!" I called, sending him out and he arrived with a roar, landing on the ground then glared at the little green spider Pokémon. "Don't be fooled Charizard, remember to never underestimate your opponent." I reminded him as Bugsy laughed.

"Your fire Pokémon doesn't scare us. Spinarak! Use String Shot and wrap it in a cocoon!" Bugsy directed and Spinarak shot out a strong string of silky web, covering Charizard in it and he growled, trying to move but the String Shot held him fast. "Great, now that's its immobilised, use Fury Swipes!"

"Stay calm Charizard." I said gently in a relaxed tone as Charizard struggled against the string that bound him in place. "Wait for Spinarak to get closer." I directed then watched as Spinarak used its String Shot to shoot up into the air then swing towards Charizard. It landed on his broad chest and began to swipe at him but Charizard's arms were pinned back, anchored to two trees so he couldn't shake it off. "Now Charizard, use Inferno."

Everyone gasped, staring as Charizard suddenly glowed with fire, the flames crackling on his body as Bugsy yelled. "Get out of there Spinarak!" But before Spinarak could escape Charizard let loose the attack and the flames spread out, burning through the String Shot and smacked into Spinarak, making it cry out from the direct hit before it landed on the ground, already knocked out.

"Perfect hit Charizard. Can you move now?" I asked and he nodded his head, taking a step forwards and stretching out his wings.

"Amazing, Charizard's Inferno burned right through the String Shot and because Spinarak was so close it was much more likely to hit." Brock said with an impressed nod of his head. "I don't know how Ruby is able to teach her Pokémon moves like this so quickly. It must be all the training she does even when on the road." Ash looked at Brock then got a thoughtful expression which I caught a glimpse of before I turned back to the battle.

"Spinarak return!" Bugsy called then smiled to his Pokéball. "Don't worry, they were very tough. You deserve a long rest now." With that he looked up, watching Charizard for a moment before smiling and nodding his head. "You have raised your Charizard well. Your bond together is very great."

"That's right. Charizard and I have been through a lot together." I told him. "Now, let's get back to battling!"

"Right! It looks like with you I'll have to up my game, so come on out Ariados!" Ariados? I don't think I've heard of that Pokémon before. Just then a large red spider Pokémon appeared, clicking its fangs together before scuttling towards Charizard so I pulled out Dexter.

"Ariados, the Long Leg Pokémon. The evolved form of Spinarak. Ariados is able to spin extremely strong and sticky webs to trap its adversaries." Okay, so we'll have to be careful of those webs too.

"Okay Ariados, Spider Web!" Suddenly the entire battlefield was covered in a sticky net, once again trapping Charizard inside but I was already moving forwards.

"Flamethrower through the web then aim for Ariados!" I called and Charizard instantly began to burn through the webs, however Ariados was fast and just kept and creating more and would scuttle out of the way before Charizard could hit it.

"Get above Charizard Ariados then use Bug Bite!" Bugsy directed and Ariados instantly shot a line up into the air then used it to shoot up above Charizard, who clamped his mouth shut and watched as Ariados disappeared into the trees.

"Okay Charizard, focus only on the webs. Let's use Flamethrower one more time!" I told him and instantly he began to burn through them all, clearing all of them from the battlefield but as he worked, Ariados suddenly dropped down from the sky.

"Charizard watch out behind you! Wing Attack!" Charizard turned around to face Ariados but it was too late, it was far too quick for Charizard to counter attack and he was bitten on the shoulder, Ariados chomping down as Charizard roared then stumbled back a step, falling down as Ariados leaped off and scuttled away. "Now Charizard, return!" I called and pulled him back. "Pidgeotto, I'm counting on you! Let's go!" I called and replaced Charizard with Pidgeotto. "Razor Wind!"

"Ariados! Use String Shot to anchor yourself down then use Poison Sting!" Ariados used its sticky string to anchor itself down as the harsh wind slammed into Ariados, but the brave little Pokémon stood its ground, taking the damage. It lifted its head and began shooting sharp needles towards Pidgeotto who dodged them, stopping the Razor Wind to get out of the way.

"Now use Peck, before Ariados can move." I told her and she flew forwards.

"Pidgeo!"

"Ariados! Stay there!" Bugsy called and I frowned. What was he doing? The moment Pidgeotto was close enough she was pecking at Ariados who took a lot of damage since the flying type attack was effective against the bug type. "Now use Poison Jab!" Without waiting a second Ariados stabbed one of its legs into Pidgeotto, glowing purple at the tip and Pidgeotto was thrown back. Wow! That was a direct hit and it looks like it's done a lot of damage!

"Pidgeotto! Pidgeotto are you okay?" I asked with a gasp, making to step forwards but she was already trying to get up.

"Pidgeo…" Her body trembled and I knew she had been poisoned by the hit and it was deteriorating her energy already. "Pidgeo!" She stood up, glaring at Ariados so I sighed with relief.

"Alright! Let's use…" Pidgeotto's body started to glow. "Huh?"

"Wow! Pidgeotto is evolving!" Brock said and the others all beamed.

"Alright!" Ash cheered as I watched Pidgeotto. Her body grew larger and the feathers on her head grew longer, curling around gracefully as she spread her wings, which also grew wider until with one flap, the glow disappeared into sparkling dust, leaving my Pidgeotto now a Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot…you look incredible!" I laughed, leaping up into the air. "Alright! Let's do this, Wing Attack!" Pidgeot chirped determinedly then flew forwards with speed unlike anything I've ever seen before. With a glowing wing Pidgeot slammed into Ariados, sending it flying through the air.

"Pidgeot! Pidgeooo!"

"Nice hit, now use Whirlwind!" I called to her and Pidgeot instantly flew a circle, gracefully gliding before beating up a harsh wind which caught Ariados in mid-air.

"Agh! Ariados no!" Bugsy called as his Ariados fell to the ground and didn't stir, knocked out from Pidgeot's powerful flying attack.

"Ariados is unable to battle, the winner is Pidgeot!" I cheered and leaped up into the air with a victory punch before watching Pidgeot land in front of me. She stood taller than me now and it was slightly weird to be looking up at her when I was so used to looking down.

"You look so beautiful Pidgeot." I said then put my arms around her, resting my head on her soft feathered chest as she chirped softly and put a wing around me. "I love you so much."

"Pidgeot." She said back to me and I smiled, knowing that she loved me too.

"Okay, let's win this battle and our second badge Pidgeot, together!" I smiled, stepping back to look at her. "I know you'll fly through this, so let's go!"

"Pidgeot!" She lifted her wings and flew up into the air, circling the battlefield at top speed.

"So your Pidgeot's pretty fast, but I have a Pokémon who'll match its speed. Go Scyther!" Neat, a Scyther! This should be a great battle! I glanced over to the others, watching Misty as she took a few photos with a camera and listened to them cheering me on.

"Begin!" The ref called so I turned to face Scyther.

"Scyther, use Agility then Fury Cutter!" Bugsy yelled and Scyther darted forwards, using its speed to disappear each time it moved but I wasn't worried about that, as Pidgeot had a keen eye.

"Okay Pidgeot, let it come to you!" I told her so she hovered in the air, looking around and watching until the Scyther suddenly appeared behind her, lifting its bladed arm to take a swipe at her. "Double Team!" I called and instantly she surrounded Scyther with copies of herself, confusing the Pokémon as to who was the right one.

"Attack them all with your Fury Cutter!" Bugsy directed so Scyther began to hack away at each one, leaping up and down but once it had its back turned, Pidgeot appeared and dove down.

"Tackle!" I watched as Pidgeot ploughed into Scyther, both of them calling out at the impact but Scyther sprang back to its feet the moment it was down, facing Pidgeot with a determined gleam in its eye.

"You won't beat us so easily. Scyther, use Sand Attack!"

"Blow it away with Razor Wind!" I countered and Pidgeot whipped up a powerful blast of wind, hitting Scyther as well as the sand it had kicked up, redirecting it back into its face and it yelped as its own move was turned back on itself. "Now, use…"

Suddenly Pidgeot stopped the Razor Wind and slashed at the air with her wings one at a time, sending a glowing streak at Scyther one at a time. Wait a minute…was that Air Slash? Awesome! "Way to go Pidgeotto!" I celebrated, clapping my hands once as Scyther was taken down and it struck a tree, groaning softly.

"Scyther…"

"No! Scyther! Get up, please get up!" Bugsy pleaded and Scyther managed to climb to its feet as Pidgeot landed, watching it carefully as she panted for breath, the poison beginning to show its effect. Scyther had taken a lot of damage but Pidgeot was fading fast, barely able to fly anymore.

However Scyther suddenly crumbled to the ground and finally fainted from exhaustion, laying on the ground in defeat. "Scyther is unable to battle! The winner is Pidgeot and the battle goes to Ruby from Pallet Town!" I squealed with joy and ran over to Pidgeot, hugging her carefully as I beamed.

"I'm so proud of you! You were amazing Pidgeot." I told her before lifting her Pokéball. "You take a long rest now, I'll make sure Nurse Joy takes good care of you then you'll be back to normal in no time." I promised her and she nuzzled against me before going back into her ball.

"Well, I'll admit that I barely had a chance against you." Bugsy told me as he walked over to me, Scyther now safely back in its Pokéball. "You put up a tough fight and I had fun battling you." He said, blushing slightly. "In honour of your victory, here is the Hive Badge."

Bugsy held out his hand and in his palm lay a round badge with the pattern of a ladybird, which I took with gratitude and I smiled. "Thanks Bugsy! You were awesome too, you really know how to use your Pokémon's strengths to battle against opponents who even have an advantage, I can see you've trained them really hard and it was amazing to battle with you." I told him, clipping the badge into my jacket alongside my Zephyr Badge.

It felt great to win, now Ash had to win too! Because after that we can head on for our third badge and I just can't wait to get going. I was proud of my Pokémon and I still couldn't get my head around the fact that Pidgeot had decided to evolve. For what reason I don't know, she's had the experience to evolve long before now but for some reason she just decided not to. It's very fascinating and I'll be sure to discuss it with Professor Oak later.


	12. Chapter 12

With Ash's newest win he strutted along the street, making me giggle as he lifted his knees high and marched into the Pokémon Centre, however he was suddenly mowed down to the ground as Brock raced up to the reception to see Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy, your presence is enough to overwhelm me with complete love and admiration for you! The feeling is so great that it hurts to even…ow! Ow! Not the ear!" He pleaded as Misty grabbed a hold of him and dragged him away.

"I'll show you what _really_ hurts." She said with a growl and I smiled before turning to Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy? Would you mind healing my Pokémon for me please?" I asked her and she nodded her head, pulling out a tray.

"Of course! I'll have them ready to go in no time." She assured me so I left them in her care then went over to the video phone booths to make a call to Professor Oak.

"Hey Ruby! Are you calling the professor?" Ash asked as he raced over and I nodded my head.

"Sure am, I'm going to tell him the great news." I said then looked back at the screen just as Professor Oak's face appeared.

"Hello there! It's good to hear from you two so soon. I'm guessing you went to the gym in Azalea Town?" He asked and I nodded my head as Ash leaped up.

"You bet we did! We both got a Hive Badge! This gym battling stuff is turning out to be pretty easy." I smacked him on the back of the head.

"Quit it Ash, you know the battles are only going to get tougher as we go along." I told him with a roll of my eyes. "Don't get too cocky."

"I won't, I'm just saying it's going better than I thought it would." Ash said before looking back at Professor Oak. "Professor, how are all my Pokémon?" He asked and Professor Oak smiled.

"They're doing fine. Snorlax is very happy with the amount of apples we've grown in our orchard this year." The professor joked, laughing before clearing his throat. "Did Kurt tell you anything new about the G-S ball?"

"He said that the lock is very powerful and he's not sure how to unlock it yet, but he's going to work on it." I said, butting in before Ash could. "We've left it with him so he could have more time to study it but he's promised to keep you posted on his progress." I explained so the professor nodded his head.

"Very good. Ash my boy, your mother has asked me to tell you to call her the moment you get a chance. I would go do that now if I were you, I know she's been dying to hear from you." Ash balked, a guilty expression crossing over his face.

"Right! I'll do that now." He nodded then quickly moved over to another booth to call his mother so I turned back to the professor, opening my mouth to ask a question but Professor Oak jumped ahead of me.

"I know what you're going to ask Ruby. The egg is fine." He assured me, walking off camera then returned with it in his arms. "It's looking good and I don't think it'll be long until it's ready to hatch."

"That's great professor!" I beamed at him but then I registered his serious expression. "What's the matter? Has something happened professor?" He sighed, shoulders slumping before finally he looked me in the eye and answered.

"Well, it's just that a group of people came round the other day asking questions about a mysterious egg and whether or not I had found one. I told them about this one as they were very intrigued but I fear I have made a great mistake in doing so." He told me. "Because you see, last night there was a break in. Someone broke into the lab by the window and tried to make off with the egg but thankfully Muk was around. He tried to hug the stranger and in doing so, made them drop the egg and the kafuffle woke me up. When I came investigating there was no one there, but it was all caught on camera." My blood ran cold.

"So you mean someone tried to steal the egg?" I swallowed the lump in my throat, unsure of how to react. I decided to stay calm and think things through. "What are you going to do?"

"Well, I've made sure I've been locking everything up at night and Muk has rather taken it upon himself to guard the egg. I'm just worried that it may not be enough to protect it. Perhaps I should send it somewhere to be safe…"

"Send it to me." I instantly answered, putting a hard, stony yet determined expression on my face. "Send it to me and I'll keep it safe." Professor Oak didn't look so convinced.

"Ruby I know you want to protect it, but if these people find you with it then I fear they won't be easy to beat. You'll be in danger." I ignored him, shaking my head then began to speak.

"I'm going to send you Pidgeot and Bulbasaur to help you protect the egg for now. Let them travel with it and I'll pick it up again when I reach Goldenrod City at the Pokémon Centre." I told him, standing up. "Let me just go pick them up and tell them what's going on."

"Alright Ruby, if you are certain about this." I nodded my head. I wasn't so certain about anything else. I turned around and went back to the desk where Nurse Joy smiled at me.

"Your Pokémon are all fighting fit. Good luck with your next gym battle, I'm sure you'll do great!"

"Thanks Nurse Joy." I said, giving a quick smile before running back to the screen. "Okay, Pidgeot, Bulbasaur, come on out!" I called, throwing their Pokéballs up into the air then caught them again as the two Pokémon appeared. "Hey guys, I need to ask a huge favour." I said, kneeling down to cuddle Bulbasaur as he climbed into my lap with a smile.

"Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur Saur!" I chuckled, stroking his head then reached up a hand to rub Pidgeot's face as she cooed.

"You see, last night the egg was attacked and almost stolen but thankfully Muk saved the day." I said to them and they instantly listened with keen interest. "So I'm going to send you over to the professor to help him protect it, and you're going to travel with it so you can keep it safe until I can pick you all up again in Goldenrod City." I told them with a smile. "Pidgeot, I'm sending you because I know you're very strong and won't let anything happen to the egg and Bulbasuar, I know you can see very well in the dark because of your time spent in the sewers, so you'll be perfect for keeping guard at night." I said and he nodded his head seriously.

"Bulba." I hugged them both tightly one at a time. It was strange letting go of two of my Pokémon but strangest of all was Pidgeot. She's been with me every moment since I stepped out my door to start this journey, it would be almost alien to travel without her.

"I love you both. Remember that. I'm counting on you, but I know you'll both be fine." I smiled, rubbing Bulbasaur's head as he licked my cheek, making me giggle. "Okay, return now. Have a safe trip." I said, letting them back into their Pokéballs then turned to the professor. "We're ready."

"Good, just put the Pokéball in the transportation unit there and I'll receive them here." Professor Oak directed so I placed Pidgeot's Pokéball first, watching as it lit up then disappeared. "Pidgeot has been transported here safely." Professor told me, lifting up the Pokéball to show me. "And now for Bulbasaur. I must admit I've missed that little fellow. He makes excellent tea." I giggled and nodded my head, placing Bulbasaur in the little cupped hold and watched as he too disappeared. "And your Bulbasaur is here safely too. Don't worry Ruby, I'll take good care of them and by the time you reach Goldenrod City from Azalea Town, all three will be there waiting for you."

"Thanks professor. Be careful now and make sure you let the Pokémon take care of things should anything happen." I said to him. "Goodbye!"

"Take care Ruby. Don't train too hard. Remember, sometimes focussing on training too much means you lose out on all the fun, and I know how important playing with your Pokémon is to you." Professor Oak reminded me. "So make sure you set aside time to just have some fun. Bye now!" The screen went blank but I sat there for a moment, thinking things over.

I realised he was right. I was focused so much on training that I hadn't played a simple game of catch in a long time. What is wrong with me?! Well I'm going to fix that! You bet I am! "Hey Ruby! We're ready to go if you are!" Ash called from the entrance so I stood up with a smile.

"I'm ready! Let's go!" I said as I hurried over to them. We head out of Azalea Town to a view top that overlooked it as the sun began to set. It was amazing, the entire town looked like it was bathed in golden fire with the mountains peaking with a bright sheen and I couldn't help but lift up my camera and capture the moment.

"Well, looks like it's time to say goodbye to Azalea Town." Ash said as we all gazed out and appreciated the spectacular view.

"It took a long time to get here but it sure was worth the trip." Brock agreed and I sighed, breathing in the warm evening air.

"Yeah." Misty agreed. "Well, let's hit the roa-oh wait a second. Doesn't it seem like we're forgetting something?" Misty asked and I frowned in thought. What were we forgetting? It's on the tip of my mind, I can almost…argh! We all cried out at once.

"We never got our apricorn Pokéballs from Kurt!" Ash said quickly as I slapped my head. How could we forget _that_?!

"Ash!" I heard Maisy's voice and I turned to see her running towards us, waving. "Hi Ruby, hey Brock, Misty, how did the gym match go?" She asked and I smiled.

"It went great, thanks Maisy, we both won our Hive Badge." I told her as she reached us, gasping for breath but still smiling.

"Congratulations!" She cheered and we all smiled down at her.

"Did you come all the way out here just to congratulate us?" Ash asked her but she shook her head quickly.

"Nope! Grandpa says these are for you!" She told us then pulled out four Pokéballs and held them out to us.

"Hey look guys, Pokéballs!" Brock said and we all leaned closer to get a better look as we oohed at them, smiling at how amazing they looked.

"The one with the little bubbles is a Heavy Ball, and the greenish ones are Lure Balls. This other one is a Friend Ball." Maisy told us, describing each one so we could tell which was which.

"That's great, thanks!" Misty said as Brock smiled down at Maisy.

"It was really nice of you to come all the way out here to bring them to us." Brock told her as Misty reached out for a Lure Ball.

"I think I'm going to take a Lure Ball."

"I think I'd rather take a Heavy Ball." Brock said, taking it from Maisy's little hands so I looked at Ash.

"Do you have a preference?" I asked him but he shook his head.

"I know you would want the Friend Ball so you go ahead and have it. I'll take the other Lure Ball." He said and I beamed at him.

"Thanks Ash!" I said then took the Friend Ball with a smile. It had a green top with four red droplets dotted on the front, their points angling inwards as they were spread out in an arc with a yellow dot at the peak. I couldn't wait to capture a Pokémon with it, I wonder what Pokémon it will be? This is so exciting! "And thank you Maisy. Without you we wouldn't have been able to collect the apricorn for these amazing Pokéballs. Make sure to tell your grandpa that we're very grateful for these."

"I will. I just have one little request." Maisy said before giggling, looking away with a blush. "Can I have my picture taken with all of you?" She asked and instantly I smiled.

"Of course! Gather around guys, I'll set up the camera." I told them so they grouped together, Misty standing beside Ash with Maisy in front, hugging Pikachu and already beaming as I stood the camera up on a stand which I flipped out from its pouch, stretching out the legs then set it on a timer. "Alright guys, in five! Four! Three! Two…say Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" We all chorused as I reached my spot and turned around, spreading out a hand and smiled at the camera as it flashed. "Thanks everyone! Ruby, will you send me the photo?" She asked and I nodded my head.

"Of course I will. Just write down your email and I'll send it to you the moment I have it downloaded onto a system okay?" I said, pulling out my notebook and checked through the addresses I had written there before finding her a slot which she scribbled down quickly.

"Thanks, good luck with your journey!" She called as I put my camera and stand away. "Goodbye!"

"Bye Maisy! See you again someday!" Misty called back as we turned and walked off into the sunset, already focused on our next battle.


	13. Chapter 13

"Alright, Eevee catch this!" I laughed, throwing my ball as far as I could and Eevee darted after it, using Quick Attack to keep up.

"Vee!" She called as she leaped up and caught it, beaming happily before she landed then turned around, tossing the ball up into the air then bat it over to Dratini with her tail.

"Driii!" Dratini moved into position then smacked it with her own tail high up into the sky where Charizard swooped down and caught it, roaring proudly before dropping it back down to me.

"You guys are great at this game, I forgot how much fun it is!" I said, racing to catch the ball then jumped into a forward roll, giggling as Eevee and Dratini then jumped on me, showering me with affection as Charizard landed heavily on the ground as well, growling as he slathered his tongue up my face.

"Chika!" Chikorita called, swinging her leaf around and I looked up at her.

"Oh hey Chikorita, do you want to play too?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Chika!"

"Okay then! Be ready, this one is for you!" I called then threw the ball. Chikorita beamed then raced after it, watching carefully before overtaking it and turning. With a firm swipe of her leaf she smacked it back and Eevee jumped forwards with a happy call, bouncing it on her head over to Dratini who bounced it back to me. "Heads up Charizard!" I called and he nodded his head, flying back up into the sky.

We played a great game, all the Pokémon joining in one by one until Ash, Brock and Misty were all playing catch as well. It was lucky we had camped out in such a big clearing otherwise we wouldn't have enough space.

Onix bounced the ball off his head and it tumbled straight for Psyduck. "Catch it Psyduck! It's coming your way!" Misty yelled with a bright smile, watching with hope as Psyduck looked upwards.

"Psy?" The ball hit the ground and bounced before rolling to Psyduck's feet, where he just stared at it.

"Ugh…Psyduck! You were supposed to catch it!" Misty yelled in frustration at her dopey Pokémon but I merely laughed.

"Come on Misty. You love Psyduck really." I told her playfully and she growled.

"It gives me a headache." She grumbled as Pikachu walked over to Psyduck, patted his shoulder then picked up the ball.

"Pika!" He called then tossed it up into the air, turning around and smacked it with his tail, sending it soaring into the sky and Brock's Vulpix raced after it with a smile.

"Vulpix! Vulpix!" She leaped up and caught the ball in her mouth which she proudly brought over to Brock, sitting down then placed it at his feet.

"Great catch Vulpix." Brock said with a smile, kneeling down to take the ball and rub her head as she leaned into his touch. "Alright, batter up!" Brock called then flung the ball out into the swarm of Pokémon. I chuckled from the cooking station with Dratini helping me to get lunch ready. Today we were having a special dinner, because, today is my birthday! Yup, I'm twelve years old today and we were all taking a day off to just relax by this lake we had found and have some fun.

"Dratini, could you pass me the lettuce please?" I asked and she nodded her head with a soft coo, wrapping her tail around the lettuce then lifted it up, handing it to me so I could start cutting it up for our barbeque special.

We'd bought all the ingredients in the town we had just passed and head out to this spot for some relaxing time together, however I had insisted on doing the barbeque because I always loved cooking on the grill. Plus Brock was having a lot of fun with his Pokémon that it's kind of nice to see him winding down a little.

Dratini rubbed against my arm and I smiled down at her. "You want some?" I asked and she nodded her head with a pleading expression so I picked up some cut up lettuce and fed it to her, giggling as she nibbled it from my fingers, munching happily until it was all gone. "You don't have to keep me company you know, you can play the game if you want." I told her but she shook her head.

"Driii! Driii!" She snuggled against me so I wiped my hands on a cloth then picked her up, hugging her in my arms as she wrapped her tail around my arm to hold on.

"Okay then, you little cutie." I giggled. "How about you start bringing over the buns then? I think we're nearly ready." I suggested so she leaped off with a happy trill then set to work bringing me the burger and hot dog buns.

"Hey Ruby! How about you go and collect some berries for the Pokémon?" Brock suggested to me, setting his hand on my shoulder. "Misty and Ash have already gone and the Pokémon will be fine here with me. I'll take care of the rest here."

"Okay Brock, no problem." I told him then looked to Dratini. "You help Brock here okay? Make sure none of the other Pokémon try to help themselves."

"Driii!" Dratini nodded her head so I grabbed a large bowel then called out.

"Eevee! You want to help me collect berries?" I asked and she turned around, lifting her ears as she heard me call.

"Vee! Eevee!" She nodded then sprang over to my side, rubbing her head against my leg then walked with me as I head off into the trees. Eevee trotted happily at my side, tail swishing across the ground before she bounded a few steps ahead, sniffing the air. "Vee!" She called back to me.

"Have you found something?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Vee Eevee!" She led the way, jumping from spot to spot with endless energy before she burrowed through the bushes and I climbed after her, scrambling through the bushes but then stopped, looking around.

"Eevee? Where are you?"

"Vee!" She answered, trotting forwards with a berry in her mouth which she brought to me proudly, sitting down and swishing her tail as I stooped down and smiled, letting her drop it into the bowl.

"Great job Eevee, let's go find some more." I said to her brightly then raced off to where she had come from. I found a neat cluster of berries of different kinds so I picked a few then moved on to search for some more.

The bowl began to fill up thanks to Eevee's keen nose and soon we had a great assortment of berries which I knew the Pokémon were going to love. "Okay, I think we have enough. How about we head back?" I suggested and Eevee nodded her head but then stopped, pricking her ears and listened to something. "What is it?" I asked and she smiled up at me.

"Vee! Eevee Vee!" She told me before bounding forwards into some bushes.

"Eevee wait! Wait for me! Where are you going?" I asked with a little laugh, chasing after her. I followed through bushes, over a log and through the trees until I started to worry, because I couldn't see her anywhere. "Eevee? Eevee where are you?" I called, turning a quick circle to try and spot her. "Eevee!"

"Vee!" I heard her squeal in fear and instantly I was racing towards the sound. "Vee Vee!"

"Eevee!" I called, dropping the bowl with the berries to spring over a cluster of mossy rocks, breaking through some bushes to find Eevee trembling and shrinking back from a group of Beedrill, all of which were glaring threateningly at Eevee. "Hey! Leave her alone!" I bellowed and instantly their attention turned to me.

I reached back to get the flute out of my bag but my fingers grasped at thin air. Stupidly I had left my bag back at camp. "Oh…uh…hi there." I laughed nervously, taking a step back. "We don't want any trouble. We'll just…go?" Suddenly I had numerous spikes pointed down at me and I yelled. "Run for it!" I darted forwards and swept Eevee up into my arms before racing into the trees. I can see in this case why Misty hates bug Pokémon. Not exactly how I planned on spending my birthday, running away from Beedrill.

Suddenly my foot snagged on a root and I gasped, tumbling to the ground and Eevee flew out of my arms as I hit the ground hard. For a moment I was stunned, the wind knocked out of my lungs and I had to take a moment to recover my senses.

Once I was in the right mind set I whirled around, staring as the Beedrill came closer. "Eevee Swift!" I screamed, hoping she would snap out of her shock too. Suddenly Eevee leaped over me, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Ee…vee!" Eevee used Swift, hitting every single Beedrill with a powerful hit and they buzzed in irritation before turning and flying away. I looked at the Eevee before me with a frown as it turned around to face me, giving me a curious look. That's not my Eevee.

"But…" I turned around to see Eevee shaking on the ground, ears flattened back as her eyes grew a little cloudy with tears. "Eevee!" I scrambled onto my knees and crawled forwards. "Eevee it's alright, they're gone now." I said to her, scooping her up into my arms and cradled her gently.

"Vee?" The other Eevee questioned, stepping forwards slowly and Eevee gasped in my arms then hid, blushing deeply as I turned around to face the slightly familiar Eevee.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" I asked it as it sat down. Suddenly I heard running feet and then someone called out from somewhere.

"Are you alright? Ruby? Can you hear me?" Gary!

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, standing up as Gary appeared, pushing his way through the trees. "How…huh?" He folded his arms and gave a patronising look as he shook his head slightly.

"Don't you know these woods are full of Beedrill nests? You shouldn't have come in here so unprepared. You're lucky you happened to run by and I heard what was going on. You could have been hurt as well as your Eevee. Then how would you feel?" He told me in a slightly angry tone so I stood up and glared at him.

"Well I'm sorry! Next time I'll be sure to bring bug spray and Repel, because then maybe it'll keep _other_ things that bug me away, like you!" I retorted and Eevee glanced up at me before jumping out of my arms but I hardly noticed.

"It's your own fault you're were in that mess, so don't blame me for anything!" He answered back and I growled.

"You're so annoying! Why do you always have to show up when I'm making a complete idiot of myself?! It's not fair!" Gary arched an eyebrow and looked up at me, his expression still stormy.

"Next time I'll keep on walking." He told me so I rolled my eyes. "Though I doubt you'll be able to stay out of trouble for long. You're always in trouble."

"Go suck on a Rawst Berry." I told him, turning around. "Eevee, let's go." I called and marched off. I noticed how Eevee was acting a little timid around Gary's Eevee but still trying to play, however he wasn't joining in, merely sat there and watched us.

Eevee, looking a little dejected, turned and followed after me with ears drooped to the ground and her head hanging low. I'd taken a few steps then realised that she was looking a little down. "Hey Eevee, cheer up. We can go back and play with Dratini and the others." I told her gently. "Who needs them?" But this didn't cheer her up either. "Eevee, what's wrong?" She shook her head, trying to shake it off then sniffed the air carefully before bounding away. "Eevee wait! Don't run off again! You heard Gary, it's dangerous in here if we're unprepared!"

But Eevee didn't stop. In fact she kept running until she was sitting beside the bowl of berries we had collected and was picking the fallen ones up and putting them back in the bowl. "Great job Eevee!" I said brightly but she only nodded her head.

"Vee…Vee…" Now I was worried. What's wrong with her? She's never been like this before, she's always bright and cheerful, I've never seen her so glum.

"Is it because Gary's Eevee wouldn't play with you?" I asked and she nodded her head. "Well then it's his loss. I'm sure it's nothing personal, maybe it just wanted to…" I had reached out blindly to pick up a berry only to find a hand already holding it.

With a start I turned to find Gary kneeling down next to me, focusing on me intently. "Oh…uh…" He picked up the berry then put it in the bowl, not saying anything before standing up. I blushed slightly, looking away and over to see Eevee suddenly brightened up, sitting down beside Gary's Eevee and nuzzled into its fur though it looked slightly confused.

"Listen Rubes, I'm sorry I snapped like that." Gary said to me and I blinked in surprise, standing up with the bowl. "I was just worried about you, okay?" I nodded my head but turned my head to the side, unwilling to look at him.

"I understand." I said then looked to Eevee. "Come on Eevee, the others will be worried." She nodded her head and made to leap forwards but stopped and looked at Gary's Eevee. She then beamed and licked his cheek, making him start in shock before she bounded after me. That's when it hit. She has a crush on Gary's Eevee! Just great.

"Hey Rubes." Gary said, calling after me so I stopped and turned back to him. "You take care, okay?" I nodded my head, turning to walk away but then Eevee jumped out in front of me.

"Eevee! Eevee Vee!" She said, swishing her tail and bouncing from side to side. Understanding her meaning I sighed but nodded my head.

"Okay, I'll ask." I said then turned back to face him. "Hey Gary, we're about to have a barbeque and some awesome desserts, why don't you take a break and come eat with us?" I suggested to him. "Your Pokémon are all welcome too." He paused, considering my offer and Eevee nudged the back of my leg so I continued. "And it's my birthday, just so you know. So…I'd like it if you could join us." I told him then got out of there as quickly as I could.

Eevee trotted after me, her usual happy self once again though she kept on glancing back over her shoulder. When I got back to the clearing everyone looked up and cheered. "There you are! We were beginning to get worried about you." Brock said but I was instantly cut off by Charizard who growled then began to nudge at me, pushing me towards the table as I giggled.

"Alright! I know you were worried but just hold on a moment." I told him as I reached out and put the berries on the table for Brock to spread out for the Pokémon to choose from. "I'm okay, honest." I assured him, leaping up to hug him tightly and he pressed his head into my back, growling affectionately as I giggled. "You big softie."

"Hey." Gary called and instantly everyone froze in place.

"Gary? What are you doing here?" Ash demanded in shock, leaping up with his mouth full of burger he'd managed to swipe from the plate. I smiled without knowing, stepping towards Gary.

"You decided to come?" He shrugged.

"Thought I might as well. I know your friend Brock is a great cook." Brock laughed, flipping a burger on the grill.

"Well actually, the most of it was made by Ruby today, though I taught her myself. Come on and join us, there's plenty to go around." He invited and Misty pulled up an extra chair and smiled warmly to Gary.

"Here, why don't you sit down?" Gary gave a grateful nod of his head and began to walk forwards but then Eevee blocked his path.

"Vee! Eevee Vee! Vee?" She looked around in search of Gary's Eevee but I think he must have returned it to his Pokéball because Eevee was nowhere in sight. "Vee…"

"Hey there Eevee. I know what you're after." Gary said then picked out a Pokéball. "Eevee, someone wants to say hi. Come on out." Eevee did a dance, flipping back over her head as Gary's Eevee appeared then blinked as my Eevee sidled up to him.

I chuckled, picking up Dratini and draped her around my shoulders as she yawned. "Come on, I think it's time we ate!" I said to everyone so I put her down next to Pikachu who smiled at me.

"Pika Pikachu!" I chuckled, assuming he was saying happy birthday.

"Thanks Pikachu, make sure everyone gets a fair share, okay?" I told him, ruffling his fur gently then went back over to the table.

"So Gary, how about a Pokémon battle?" Ash said to Gary as he sat down at the table, though Ash remained standing, too excited and focused at the moment so I smacked him on the back of his head then yanked him down into his seat.

"No battling today." I said sternly. "You promised. Today is for relaxing and having fun only. No training of any kind." Ash groaned, slamming his head on the table.

"But battles are fun!" However when the food was set on the table he was then happily distracted and didn't say anything more about a battle.

"So Gary, what have you been up to?" Misty asked as she fed Togepi some fruit. "I guess you must be training hard for the Johto League." In answer he nodded his head, shifting a little awkwardly.

"Yeah, I've been catching and training Pokémon so I can get a feel for the right team I want to enter with." He answered. "It's really starting to shape up and I'm determined to do better this time."

"Well I'm going to beat you anyway Gary, so you better be ready for defeat." Ash said, tearing through a chicken wing and I stared at him in disgust before shifting my chair a little further away from him. We enjoyed our dinner, talking about anything and everything with ease and even Gary began to loosen up. Misty managed to drag a few childhood stories from us, though we all did our best not to give in however Ash was the first to cave.

When he told everyone about the time I had tried to capture a wild Nidoran with a rubber ball and had been chased all around town by it, I practically died of embarrassment. So naturally I returned the favour and told everyone about the time Ash had gone fishing with his rod and had been dragged in by a Poliwag, only to return soaking wet and without his pants and only one shoe.

We all exchanged stories after that, somehow learning things about each other that we never knew before. When dessert came I was surprised when Brock placed a large cake in front of me. It was chocolate with blue icing and red roses with twelve candles all glowing with a single flame.

"Wow! Brock how did you make this?" I asked, smiling around at everyone as he smiled with satisfaction.

"I whipped it up last night at the Pokémon Centre then went back for it by flying on Charizard whilst you were busy this morning. You didn't even notice we were gone." I laughed, turning around and giving Charizard a big hug.

"Thanks buddy!" He growled then gave a particularly slobbery lick up my face, making my squeal in mock disgust before I turned.

"Remember to make a wish!" Misty said to me, my camera in her hand as she took a photo. "Ready?" I nodded my head, closed my eyes then made a wish. I wish that I'll always have these friends with me. Opening my eyes I blew out the candles as everyone sang happy birthday then we all dove into the desserts.

I had made everyone's favourites, including extra sticky chocolate brownies for Ash and he chowed down on them happily. "I didn't know you could cook so well Rubes." Gary said to me and I shrugged.

"I had a great teacher." I answered, looking to Brock. "Thanks guys, today has been amazing." I told them but then Pikachu sprang up onto the table.

"Pi Pikachu!" He said then presented me with a wrapped gift. It was small and was wrapped very messily with extreme amounts of sticky tape but I was touched all the same.

"That's from me and Pikachu. Hope you like it!" Ash beamed and I smiled at them both.

"Aw! Thanks you guys!" I picked up Pikachu and hugged him, tickling his belly and chin to make him squeal sweetly before I was suddenly bombarded with presents.

"And this one's from me and all my Pokémon!" Misty told me as she held out the very neatly wrapped gift, blue bubbles on the silver background. I thanked them all then turned to Brock who put down his present in front of me.

"And this is from us, I think you'll really like it."

"Thanks Brock! Thanks Onix, Vulpix, Zubat, Geodude!" I called and they all answered back with proud expressions. I started with Ash and Pikachu's first, fighting with the mass of tape before finally I had a little box in my hand, which I opened to find a little Charmander charm made from silver. "Ash it's beautiful!" I murmured, lifting it up then smiled. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Misty chose it, I just bought it." Misty smacked him on the back of the head.

"You're not supposed to tell her!" Misty growled and he frowned.

"What? It's true!" I laughed, shaking my head as I secured the little charm to my amberite bracelet, admiring how the colours worked together perfectly. "Come on, open some more! I'm dying to see what the others got you!"

"Okay!" I laughed then started on the others. Misty had bought me a new notebook, a badge case and another case full of her own selection of lures, including her Misty Special. I picked it up and giggled, smiling at it before thanking her too. I've been meaning to get back into fishing for a while now, I just never seemed to have the time!

And from Brock I had three new cookbooks, a neatly written guide to herbs and their uses, some travelling cooking utensils and finally my own map of Johto. Yes! Now I can at least keep us all on track if I have my own map to compare with Ash's stupid directions. I thanked everyone for their gifts but apparently that wasn't it.

"Chika!" I looked down at Chikorita who then gave me a pretty looking feather, a dark brown one with red streaks at the top which I took from her with a smile.

"It's beautiful Chikorita, thank you." I said then tucked it away into my photo album next to a picture of her and she beamed happily.

"Chika!" Suddenly the Pokémon all swarmed closer and began placing things in front of me, from berries to odd leaves to flowers and even some sticks. I couldn't stop laughing, all too glad that the Pokémon were just trying to give me the best birthday ever, however there was just no way I could take all of it.

"Guys come on! Settle down." Brock said, clapping his hands as I began to sort through my things. "How about we all settle down and do some fishing? That'll be a great way to let our dinners go down then we can see what else we want to do." He suggested and I nodded my head, picking up my lure case.

"I can't wait to test out these lures!" I said, putting away the last of my gifts then raced out to the water with one of Misty's spare rods in hand. "Come on!" Gary followed, deciding to join us but didn't do any fishing. He just sat there enjoying the sun and the wind blew through his hair, making it look tasselled but kind of dramatic in a way.

Whilst Brock and Misty did the dishes and Ash snored on the bank, I sat there gazing out into the water, not yet having cast my rod. The surface was so clear and perfect that I didn't want to disturb it. It glittered brightly with the light of the setting sun, sparkling like Eevee's eyes whenever she looked at Gary's Eevee. Speaking of which, it seemed she was getting a hard time for him to notice her, so she pulled every trick out of the book to try, but it all seemed to be for nothing. He just wasn't interested.

"You know, I haven't sat back and relaxed like this for a long time." Gary said quietly after a while. "It feels good."

"Everyone needs a break every once in a while. Even us trainers." I said to him, not taking my eyes away from the water. "But especially our Pokémon." Gary nodded his head, understanding my hint.

"Don't worry, I take good care of my Pokémon." He assured me and I smiled softly.

"I know. Just checking." There was another interval of silence, interrupted only with a loud snore from Ash as he rolled over, Pikachu mirroring his every move even in his sleep. No that's a little scary. Dratini came down to the water and took a dive, squealing happily before ducking down under its surface with Eevee jumping in after her, making me chuckle. "Be careful you two!" I called to them as Dratini began to speed about the water with Eevee hitching a ride on her back.

"You've raised some pretty awesome Pokémon Ruby. You should be proud." Gary said as he stood up. "I better be going. I still have some things I want to work on with my Pokémon before we stop for the day." I stood up too, a little disappointed that he was going.

"Oh…well okay. I hope you had fun." I said to him and he nodded his head with a smile.

"Sure did. You're a great cook by the way. For a while I thought you'd end up with the skills of your mom with the desserts but you sure proved me wrong." Who could blame him? My mom tried her best to bake stuff but it always ended up in a burnt or gloopy mess. If it ever looked normal then…well let's just say looks can be deceiving.

"Thanks." I said, a little colour rising to my face. "And you're not so bad as I thought. You can be halfway decent when you want to be." I replied smartly and Gary gave a little chuckle before stuffing his thumbs in his pockets, eyes still fixed on mine. They were a really gorgeous shade of brown, an intense dark brown which captivated my attention.

"I'm sorry I don't have a birthday present for you." He told me but I shook my head.

"I don't mind. You being nice is gift enough." I said. "Especially to Ash. You're really starting to change, you know that? I think going on a solo journey was the best idea you ever had." I paused. "Except when you decided to put candy into the blender at school to make a sweet tooth smoothie. That was pretty awesome."

"Don't remind me. I got in big trouble for that. Especially after I broke it." He said with a quiet laugh before turning his head to his Eevee. "Eevee, time to go." Eevee lifted his head and instantly was wide awake, hurrying over to Gary's side who bent down to rub his head gently. "Well, see you around."

"Bye Gary." I replied, stepping back whilst wringing my wrists, looking down so I wouldn't be fooled into watching Gary leave, however that power was taken away from me when Gary tipped back my hat to expose my face then kissed my cheek.

"Happy birthday Rubes." He said to me softly, making my spine tingle and I froze in place as Gary pulled back then walked away, mentioning a goodbye to Brock and Misty before disappearing into the trees. When I looked up and saw their faces, I instantly knew they had seen what had just happened. The only question was this.

What _had_ just happened?


	14. Chapter 14

Okay, so to quickly run things over, I'll give the debrief.

We stopped at a Swap Meet in Pompona Town where we met this kid who had a Wobbuffet and wanted to trade it, however no one was willing to make a trade so we stopped to help and managed to persuade a guy to trade, but then he ducked out at the last second when the Pokéballs were placed on the trade machine. Then it turned into a big mess where Jessie somehow bumped into it, dropped a Pokéball into the pod then traded her Lickitung for the Wobbuffet.

After that it was rescuing Pokémon, beating Team Rocket then watching them blast off into the distance. A job well done. However after that we stopped at a Fire and Rescue Grand Prix where we met the Squirtle Squad again and I got blasted with affectionate showers of Water Gun several times that day. It was interesting to say the least, however when it proved that the Squirtle Squad couldn't handle themselves without a leader, Ash's Squirtle stepped back into the slot as Squirtle Squad team leader and helped them win the competition against Team Wartortle, and after seeing how great the Squirtle Squad were with Ash's Squirtle back in the team, he had decided to leave him with the others.

I was sad to see him go but the Squirtle Squad really needed him, so it was a goodbye that was necessary. So after we'd let Squirtle go it was back on the road for us. Right now I was trying out one of my new lures, happily fishing with the others by a sleepy stream. At least, some of us were happy.

"This is a boring way to catch Pokémon." Ash complained grumpily for the seventh time now.

"Be quiet." Misty snapped in a hushed tone, eyes closed in concentration as she focused on her fishing.

"I could have gone out and caught ten of them by now."

"Will you please just shut your mouth?!" Misty yelled suddenly, startling even me from my little fishing trance.

"Don't _you_ think we should just give up?" Ash asked Brock who hummed thoughtfully.

"Hmm…maybe we're using the wrong bait." He suggested, pulling his line in and looking at the special bait grub he'd put at the end of his hook.

"How long are we going to have to sit here like this?" Ash asked so I reached out and smacked his head.

"For as long as we want." I answered him simply. "And with you yammering away with that big mouth of yours, it's no wonder we haven't caught anything."

"I know it seems boring but if we're really quiet then maybe it'll only take another hour." Misty said to him, going back to her gentle tone but Ash looked less than impressed.

"As long as you're quiet I don't care if we're here another two hours." He replied and Misty growled.

"Argh! You're the one complaining about everything, why don't you be quiet?!" Suddenly Misty's line pulled and we all stopped to watch.

"Hey you got something!" Ash said as Misty began to pull on it.

"Reel it in Misty!" Brock encouraged as I sat up on my knees.

"Go Misty!" She grunted, standing up and struggling to pull in whatever it was she had caught.

"Must be something humongous!" She grunted as the line darted from side to side a little.

"Hang on, don't let it get away!"

"You can do it Misty!" I added and we all began cheering for her as she started to wind back her line, reeling in her catch before finally, with one mighty tug something burst out of the water with a large spray, making Misty beam with pride.

"I got it!" We all smiled excitedly until the water washed away to reveal…a beaten up teapot.

"What is it?" Brock frowned as Misty blinked.

"I just caught a tea kettle." She answered blankly.

"Put up a pretty good fight though." Ash pointed out and I couldn't supress my smile. At least Ash knows how to make light a situation.

"Could you throw it back and try for a coffee maker?" Brock asked and Misty instantly turned a stormy face around to him.

"I came here for Pokémon not appliances!" She yelled. "But now we're talking I'm going to have to use more drastic measures to get one!" Misty said whilst glaring ahead, lifting her fist at the water as Ash stepped forwards.

"What do you mean?" He asked her in confusion. "What are you going to use Misty?"

"My secret weapon. Introducing…the Mini Misty Lure!" With that she whipped out a lure from her pocket, a small image of her leaping upwards with one hand spread up to the sky. Aw it's adorable!

"It looks like her." Brock whispered.

"Isn't that going to scare the Pokémon?" Ash asked so I smacked him on the back of the head.

"Be nice." I scolded him as Misty smirked.

"Watch closely guys, you're about to see the dazzling technique of Misty the water Pokémon master!" With that she elegantly tossed her line in, the lure diving down into the water as she held her stance with a smile.

"Since when are you a water Pokémon master?" Ash asked so she dropped her stance and put on a serene face as she answered.

"Well technically I'm not yet but I don't like to get bugged out by technicalities." She sighed softly, wearing a dreamy face. "There's nothing more wonderful in the world than water type Pokémon! When I was a little girl back in Cerulean City, I made a solemn promise to myself to dedicate all my life to learning all about water Pokémon, training them to the very best of my ability and always being their friend!" She declared as we all just stared. Okay, Misty is having a Misty moment. "I want to capture and train as many water Pokémon as I can! And that's why I'm hoping with all my might to capture one today!"

"Misty is kinda scaring me." Ash said quietly.

"She's almost as scary as that mini Misty." She glared at the two of them as I smacked them both on the head.

"Don't mess with me or mini Misty." She told them darkly and they both gulped loudly, making me chuckle and shake my head. Suddenly there was a splash and we all turned to see a blue shape leap out of the water flamboyantly before beginning to dance on a rock with bundles of energy.

"Totodile!" It called in the most adorable little voice before it began to kick its feet and chant happily as it watched us.

"Look! A Totodile!" Brock said as we all gasped.

"It's totally adorable!" Misty squealed as I just stared.

"From the looks of that little dance it's doing it's a pretty happy one too!"

"Yeah!" Ash agreed with Brock as we both flicked open Dexter and the two voices spoke at the same time.

"Totodile, the big jaw Pokémon. Its highly developed jaw is so powerful it can crush practically anything. Trainers beware, this Pokémon loves to use its teeth."

"I knew my patience would pay off and now I've found another wonderful water Pokémon to train." Misty said dreamily but then Ash stepped out in front of her.

"Dream on Misty because I'm capturing this one." He told her but she merely smirked then expertly angled her line.

"Oh no you don't!" The mini Misty soared through the air and towards the Totodile who instantly clamped its jaws around it, holding on as Ash yelled in disbelief.

"No fair! No way!" Misty laughed, turning a mocking smirk on Ash.

"Sorry! My mini Misty was just too fast for you." She crowed but then Totodile frowned, tasting the lure before shaking its head and spitting it out. "What's the matter? Is something wrong Totodile?" Misty asked with a slightly stunned expression. Suddenly the Totodile winked and Misty practically blew the roof. "Did you see what? Totodile just winked at me!" Good thing we're not inside.

"And I also saw it spit out that lame looking lure of yours! Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash directed as Misty remained immobilised by adoration.

"Pi." Pikachu jumped out in front of Ash and instantly summoned up its electric power. "Pika…CHUUUU!" Twin bolts darted out across the stream and shocked Totodile, making it dance in the air before it dropped down, slightly woozy from the hit.

"Pokéball, go!" Ash yelled as he flung out the Pokéball then caught Totodile with it as Misty gaped.

"Aaaargh! That was a dirty low down double crossing trick Ash Ketchum! That Totodile wouldn't be anywhere near here if it weren't for me and my lure!" Misty yelled as he turned his back on her and glowered before he spun around and yelled back.

"Yeah? Well you don't catch a Pokémon with a lure you catch it with a Pokéball!" He shot back, however they seemed a little too busy to notice that the Pokéball had actually burst back open until the Totodile was dancing in front of Ash and Misty.

"Guess you don't catch this Totodile either." Brock assumed as Ash kicked out in frustration, flailing his arms as well.

"I caught you I caught you now get back in that Pokéball where you belong!" Ash tantrumed and I took a large step back, picking up Togepi and holding her before she could fall into the stream where she had been leaning too close.

"Toge-priiii!" She trilled and I sighed.

"I know, mommy and daddy are having another fight. It's okay kid, stick with me and we'll get through this." Just then Totodile turned to Pikachu and gestured for him to come closer but Ash interrupted them.

"You can make friends later, use your Thundershock!" Ash told Pikachu but then Misty slammed her hand against his face and knocked him out the way.

"Sorry Ash, but the reason this Totodile won't stay with you is because it obviously wants to be trained by me. Like all of my other water Pokémon." Misty told him, holding a Pokéball to hand. "Pokéball!" She called but Totodile smartly leaped back onto its rock and smacked it back to Misty with a powerful Water Gun attack, showering all of us completely. Great. Now I'm soaked!

And we had also been blown back a couple of feet into the tall grass but you know, details. We crawled back through but when we got back, the Totodile was gone. "Huh? Where'd that Totodile go?" Ash demanded frantically, looking around for it.

"I don't know…it was just here…" Misty answered and they both began searching.

"It hasn't been gone long enough for it to have gotten far away, bet you if I hurry up I can still catch it!"

"Can I catch it this time Ash?" Misty pleaded, opting for a different route of attack but Ash merely smirked.

"Finders keepers, losers weepers! Let's go Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu darted off after Ash as Misty growled then turned around to face us.

"Ruby, take care of Togepi!" She said quickly before running after Ash.

"Already on it." I said as I sat on the ground drying us both off. "Right Togepi?"

"Toge-pi!" She trilled happily as I gently rubbed her little body.

"Hey I think I better come too!" Brock yelled before adding under his breath. "They're gonna need a referee." Me? I think I'll just sit here and do some more fishing. "Ruby hurry up!" I growled under my breath before standing.

"Well Togepi, let's go." I sighed, picking her up and grabbed the bags as well, taking them all with me as I followed at a much slower pace.

"Toge-Toge-piiii!" Togepi trilled happily at the flowers and I stopped to pick one for her, smiling at her adorable little face as I put her down then took some photos for Misty.

"You look very cute Togepi." I told her as I put the camera away then picked her up again. "You have to be one of the most adorable Pokémon in existence."

"Toge-Toge!" She agreed and I chuckled softly before looking around for the others. I followed the stream and soon spotted them. Ash and Misty faced one another and Brock stood to the side with a Lure Ball sitting neatly on a blanketed covered rock.

"Oh boy…please tell me we're not doing this." I sighed, walking over to Brock who nodded to me.

"Unfortunately we are. Both Ash and Misty threw their Lure Balls at Totodile, only when they both landed in the bush we couldn't tell which one was who's, so since they're both too stubborn to give it up, we're settling this little dispute with a Pokémon battle." He explained to me so I turned to watch, Togepi in my arms. "I will be the judge and referee of this match and until a winner is determined I will also be in charge of the Totodile." Brock said to the others in his serious tone. "You'll each be allowed to use a total of three different Pokémon and whoever wins the best of three battles wins the match!"

"Now I'll show you who would've won the match we never finished back at the Cerulean City gym." Ash said confidently to Misty who didn't bat an eyelid.

"There's no reason for you to do that Ash, because we both know that the winner would have been me." She replied with equal confidence as I took a seat on the ground, sitting Togepi in my lap.

"I bet you won't think this is so funny when I win that Totodile! The only kind of Pokémon you have are water Pokémon, so I'm going to go with an electric type. Ready Pikachu?"

"Pikachu." He answered, springing forwards with a battle stance ready to go.

"Hmm…okay. Well I guess we'd better get started then." Misty said, unfazed by her total disadvantage with the typing matchup. I could even hear Ash gulp.

"You mean you're not even a little worried?" He asked but Misty only lowered her head, still smiling slightly with a confident expression.

"Not really. As a matter of fact I have a secret weapon for battling Pikachu." She revealed and I looked up with interest. How? All her Pokémon are water types with no kind of attack that would work well against Pikachu. What was she talking about?

"Exactly what kind of secret weapon are you talking about Misty?" Ash demanded with slight worry.

"One that's been right in front of your face all the time! Only now you're going to see it in action! Togepi go!" Misty called and Togepi sprang forwards, chirping happily as she waddled over to stand in front of Misty.

"Wargh!" Ash yelled and Pikachu took several steps backwards in horror.

"Pika?!" Misty folded her arms with satisfaction, eyes focused on Ash as she smirked smugly.

"We're ready to battle whenever you are." She announced.

"The first match will be Pikachu verses Togepi. Begin!" Brock called and lifted his arm which Togepi instantly answered by running towards Pikachu who leaned backwards, unsure of what to do.

"Pi? Pika…"

"What's the matter Pikachu?" Ash asked before thinking. "Uh…how about starting out with your Thundershock attack?" He suggested but Pikachu whirled around and stared at him.

"Pika?" Meanwhile Togepi toddled towards Pikachu, completely oblivious to what was actually going on.

"Okay Togepi, go give Pikachu a big gigantic hug!" Misty directed so Togepi leaped forwards and jumped on Pikachu who caught her, holding her back from him though she chirped and beamed happily, none the wiser to anything as Pikachu turned around desperately to Ash for help.

"Uh…we'll have to attack as soon as Togepi lets go of you Pikachu." Ash said but Misty was already moving on.

"Togepi, hit Pikachu with your best full strength Charm attack!" She called and instantly Togepi gave the cutest expression it could, and Pikachu began to sweat in buckets, staring at Togepi before putting her down and running off to collapse on a stone with a small scream.

"Uh…that attack made me sweat too." Ash said as Brock lifted his hand towards Misty.

"Pikachu is unwilling to battle. Round one to Misty!"

"She beat me…!" Ash said in disbelief, fingers twitching as he stared in shock. Misty cheered, running towards Togepi and danced around with her with joy before giving Togepi a big hug.

"I knew you could do it Togepi!" Misty told her proudly before looking around to Ash. "Let's see what Pokémon Ash is going to use this time." She put Togepi down and let her toddle back over to me, so I lifted her up and settled her back in my lap to watch the battle.

"This time I'm going to use a grass Pokémon because they're really strong against water types. Chikorita! Go!" Chikorita appeared then looked with a focused glare towards Misty. "Even that secret weapon of yours isn't going to save you this time Misty."

"I wouldn't make any more predictions about winning if I were you Ash. Don't forget, you're up against someone who's practically a water Pokémon master!"

"I'm up against a water Pokémon disaster!" Ash yelled back but Misty merely smirked.

"We'll see about that. Go! Staryu!" Staryu leaped out then landed on the ground to face Chikorita.

"It's Misty's Staryu against Ash's Chikorita in the second round. Begin the battle!" Now feeling much more confident, Ash kicked things off with a Razor Leaf attack which Staryu neatly dodged by jumping up into the air then countered with Swift.

For this Chikorita hid under the broad leaf on her head, holding back as much of the damage as she could before Ash directed her to break through it with a Tackle attack. I watched the two of them battle and only then did it really hit me how good Misty really was. Sure I knew she was a gym leader but I've never actually seen her battle before and here she looked pretty determined to win.

However no matter how good Misty was or how high levelled Staryu, you just can't compete with Chikorita's spunk. She smartly dodged Staryu's Tackle and redirected her Vine Whip to catch it, then swung it around in a final grand slam, knocking Staryu out of the battle.

"Staryu is unable to continue. Chikorita wins the round!" Brock announced and the two of them celebrated together as Misty held her Staryu.

"I'm sorry I pushed you too hard Staryu but you know I only did it because I have a lot of confidence in you." She said to Staryu who nodded its head in return. My stomach began to grumble and I knew it was getting towards dinner time so I got up, picked up Brock's bag then headed a little further downstream with Togepi to start on some food, because no doubt Ash will be pretty hungry after this battle.

"Here Togepi, you can help me." I said to her with a smile. "Now you hold this very carefully and don't drop it." I said, handing her a carrot which she held with a chirp and a chirpy expression. That's our Togepi!

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the battle, the final decider against Bulbasaur and Poliwag, a Pokémon Misty had caught only recently. You see, when Brock, Ash and I had accidentally startled some Vileplume we breathed in a lot of Stun Spore which made us sick and Misty had to go get us some sort of weed to help cure us. That's when she met Poliwag who had helped her pull up the weed from the bottom of the lake, becoming friends along the way and since Poliwag had been alone so long, it decided to team up with Misty.

It was a very cute Pokémon though very slimy to cuddle. But I loved cuddling it anyway. Suddenly I heard Misty cry out so I turned around from my soup to see Poliwag collapsed on the ground, however it was now glowing. Woah! Poliwag is _evolving_!

Slowly Poliwag grew arms and its large tail disappeared as it also grew bigger, until finally the light died out and we were left with a Poliwhirl. Misty gasped in awe and joy, clasping her hands together as she beamed down at her newly evolved Pokémon. "My Poliwag evolved into a Poliwhirl! Now I'm going to have a totally new Poliwhirl and a totally new Totodile!"

I chuckled then began to add a few seasonings to the soup for extra tang just as it said in one of my new cook books, following the recipe carefully for a quick, easy but deliciously filling soup. I listened to the battle and it appeared that Poliwhirl put up an excellent fight, but Bulbasaur was just that little bit stronger and had the type advantage. So yes. In the end…Ash won.

And we're still hearing about it three days later.


	15. Chapter 15

With all the water Pokémon playing in the water I let Dratini come out to play as well but she seemed a little down. She curled up on the bank and didn't join in the fun, preferring to bathe in the sun which was very unlike her. "Hey Dratini, are you alright?" I asked, kneeling down by her side and she looked up at me with a sad face. "What's the matter?"

"Driiiii…" Feeling a little concerned for her I lifted her up and placed her in my lap.

"Are you not feeling well?"

"Driii…." She answered, lifting her head to rub into my cheek before snuggling down. I began to do some health checks on her, checking her temperature, her eyes and tried to find anything obviously wrong but I didn't find anything.

"Hey Brock?" I called, standing up with Dratini in my arms. "Something's wrong with Dratini, I don't think she's feeling right." I told him, walking over as he finished packing things away ready to set off again.

"Let's have a look shall we?" He said with a smile, turning around then began to look over Dratini as she sat very still for him. "Hmm…"

"Is everything okay?" I asked with worry as Brock completed his analysis.

"Well I can't find anything wrong, Dratini looks a little tired so maybe all she needs is a little rest." He said to me so I nodded my head.

"Okay. Dratini return." I said and let her back into the Pokéball. "Don't worry, you just take a long rest and you'll be feeling fine soon." I promised before looking up. Misty had just called back all her Pokémon and Totodile was safely in his Pokéball so I guess that meant it was time to move on.

I grabbed my stuff then joined the others as we head into the woods on our way to Goldenrod City. It was a two shaded sort of forest, with both light and dark patches which only added to its mysterious nature however the further we went in, the darker it got. I saw a couple of Nidoran off the track but they quickly dove into their burrows when they saw us humans coming.

"Pika? Pika Pi!" Pikachu suddenly called, pointing up into a tree and we all stopped.

"You see something Pikachu?" Ash questioned then looked around to where Pikachu was pointing and we all saw a bird house nestled up in the boughs of the tree, shaded by the canopy above and blended perfectly into the tree bark.

"I bet that's where flying Pokémon go to roost." Misty desiphered as we all looked at the interesting object. It was strange to see a bird house all the way out here, especially in the woods. I thought people only put them up in their backyards or something.

"Yeah but I wonder what kind." Ash replied as Brock held his chin in thought.

"It's hard to say for sure just by looking. It may be too big for a small Pidgeotto and too small for a big Pidgey." Brock concluded and I smacked my face. Why are guys so dense and…senseless? "But…on the other hand the reverse could be true." Suddenly a bird Pokémon flew down to nestle on the branch then looked curiously at the house, inspecting it closely.

"Hey, there's one now!" Ash called rather loudly so I clapped my hand down on his mouth and smacked him upside the head.

"Quiet genius! Or you'll scare it away. Come on, let's hide so we don't scare it off." With that we all dove into the bushes and crouched down there where we could still see the Pokémon but it couldn't see us. Ash rummaged around in his pocket before bringing out Dexter to tell us a little about the bird Pokémon.

"Noctowl, the owl Pokémon, the evolved form of Hoothoot. This highly intelligent Pokémon often twists its head one hundred eighty degrees when it is thinking. Noctowl is a nocturnal Pokémon." That's interesting, I bet it looks really cute when it turns its head like that!

"Hey guys, nocturnal means it moves around at night, but here it is in the afternoon." Brock pointed out smartly as we all watched the Noctowl continue to sit peacefully on the branch.

"Maybe because this forest is so dark, the Noctowl think it's night time even though it's day." Misty suggested and I guessed her to be right. It was pretty dark in here after all. Suddenly a branch stuck out of the trunk and began to flap at the Noctowl, making it spread its wings and coo in confusion as the tree began to talk.

"Go! Shoo! You're not the Noctowl I want. Now beat it!" What on earth…how did that tree just talk?

"Did that Noctowl just get chased away by a tree branch?" Ash questioned and I nodded my head.

"Don't worry, we're all seeing the same crazy thing. It's not just you this time Ash." I assured him quietly, watching as the Noctowl flew away only to be replaced by another, though there was something different about this one. It was smaller and the colours of its feathers were brighter than the other we had just seen.

"Hey look, that one's a different colour." Brock noted, sitting up a little straighter to see this new specimen of Noctowl a little better. Suddenly the branch withdrew then came back, only this time it was filled with ripe looking berries which the Noctowl looked at curiously, twisting its head around and I was right. It did look cute!

Suddenly the Noctowl smacked the offerings away then rose up to smash its head into the tree, making a camouflage sheet fall down to reveal a man who teetered on the branch he was standing on, crying out in shock before he fell backwards but somehow managed to snag hold of the branch and hung on for dear life.

The Noctowl fluttered down then hovered just above the man's hand, glaring slightly before pecking at his fingers until he let go and dropped to the ground with a crash. Okay. What is going on here? All at once we leaped out of our hiding place and raced over to the guy who groaned in agony on the ground.

"Hey are you okay?" Ash asked as we reached him.

"Is there anything we can do to help mister?" Misty questioned with a sympathetic and pitying tone but the mister only sat bolt upright and corrected her snappily.

"Not mister! It's Dr Wiseman!" He shoved his glasses further up his nose and I saw a crack gleam in one of the lenses from where he had crash landed.

"We're sorry but at first you looked like a mister." Brock explained to him simply. "Anyway what were you doing up in that tree doctor?"

"I was attempting once again to capture that unusually coloured Noctowl. Once again it outsmarted me." He told us with a sniff, turning his face away and lifted his nose with a proud air about him.

"A Noctowl huh? It sure would be great if I could catch a rare Pokémon like that." Ash mused thoughtfully aloud, that determined expression that we were so familiar with rising to his face.

"You won't cut that Noctowl." The doctor said proudly as he got up. "It will outsmart you too! Noctowl are known for their intelligence but this one seems to like nothing better than to think up ways to avoid me capturing it." He said as the Noctowl landed on the tree behind him, giving a gentle hoot as he turned his head around to the side.

"That's too bad. But hey! Look at its head turn!" At this Doctor Wiseman turned around and nodded his head, looking up rather proudly at it.

"It's actually a lot smaller than the average Noctowl but its remarkable colouring and brain power make it an exceptionally rare and valuable Pokémon." He explained to us as another Noctowl stopped in the tree, this one much bigger than the tricky Noctowl our doctor knew. At least twice as big!

"Now I want to capture it even more Doctor Wiseman!" Ash announced as he gazed up at the Noctowl and the doctor blinked.

"Oh?" Ash raced forwards with an excited laugh, Pikachu on his shoulder but Doctor Wiseman called out after him, though Ash didn't listen. "Hey! Wait!" Ash stopped directly in front of the Noctowl, looking up at it intently before drawing out a spare Pokéball.

"Pokéball, go!" Ash threw it at the Noctowl who didn't even move an inch, watching it fly closer before kicking it back with one of its feet, smacking Ash on the head and I couldn't hold back a laugh and the Noctowl chirped as well, as it too found this whole situation amusing. "Quit laughing! It's not funny!" Ash yelled up at the Noctowl but I shook my head.

"No of course not, it's hilarious!" Suddenly I saw Noctowl's eyes begin to glow red as it faced Ash, focusing in on him and slim rings began to pulse outward from it and beam around Ash who stared for a moment until he spun around to face a rock.

"Come on let's go Pikachu! Let's catch that Noctowl!" Ash said determinedly to the rock but then blinked. "Huh? Come on Pikachu, what's the matter buddy? Why're you just standing there?" He demanded with worry, trying to shift the rock all by himself.

"Hey Misty why do you think Ash is talking to a rock?" Brock asked quietly as I sighed and shook my head. It's happened. Ash has finally gone crazy.

"I don't know." She answered but thankfully, the doctor gave us the answer.

"Because he's been hypnotised by that Noctowl." Oh that explains a lot.

"He's been hypnotised?"

"Oh I get it. Ash thinks that rock is Pikachu and he can't get a rock to battle so Noctowl won't get captured." Brock said as Ash started trying to pick up the rock.

"Well, I know how to handle this." I said, placing one hand on my hip then walked over to Ash, eyes closed as I took a deep breath before smacking him hard on the back of the head. "Wake up genius!" I yelled and Ash leaped back in fear, falling on his back as he blinked up at me in confusion.

"Ow…that hurt…" Ash whimpered so I helped him to his feet and brushed him off.

"You just got zapped by that Noctowl's Hypnosis. You were talking to that rock there thinking it was Pikachu." I said, pointing to said rock as it sat innocently on the ground but Ash growled.

"Aw man! Now Noctowl is gone!" He went to kick the rock with all his might but I snagged the back of his jacket and held him away with one hand, keeping him from injuring himself. It's a good thing Ash has all of us to watch his back, because I don't think he'd last a single minute out here on his own.

"How about we go back to my cabin? I'll make you a cup of tea that will help clear the after effects of Noctowl's little trick." Doctor Wiseman said as I supported a now slumped Ash as he groaned and muttered under his breath.

"Great idea." I nodded in agreement as Brock and Misty hurried over to help me. So we followed the doctor, sat Ash down and we all had a cup of tea as he looked at us all pretty smugly as he talked about how he had dedicated his life to catching that Noctowl because he liked to collect rare Pokémon. I'm not too fond of Pokémon collectors, just so you know. I hate how they think Pokémon are only meant to be displayed as if they were prizes.

"I warned you." He trilled so I folded my arms, shooting him a sharp glare. "That Noctowl is clever."

"Oh yeah?" Ash challenged, still looking upset and annoyed that he'd been showed up by a Pokémon. "Well I'm pretty clever too you know."

"I wouldn't count on it Ash." I replied with a dainty sip of my tea. Hmm…peppermint. My favourite. "I may call you genius but it doesn't really mean that you are one." He glared at me.

"Yeah? Well I'm going to catch that Noctowl and then you'll see how smart I really am!" He answered back, standing up and lifted his fists up in an unrelenting and unstoppable pose. "I'm going to catch that Noctowl and when I do, _I'm_ going to be the one who gets the last laugh."

"Oh please. You won't even be able to find that Noctowl again." I said to Ash, putting down my tea. "It'll be long gone by now if it really has any sense and this forest is huge! It'll take you weeks to find it again." Ash then turned to me, smirking a little.

"Yeah you're right, but I have a secret weapon!" He declared and I blinked at him.

"You do?" Suddenly his hand darted forwards and grabbed my bag which I had set at my feet. "Hey! Give that back Ash Ketchum!" I demanded, leaping to my feet as Ash quickly raced to the door, rifling through it before he drew out my flute. Oh no…he wouldn't. He wouldn't' dare! "You get back here! Ketchum! Don't you dare use that!" I leaped onto the table, scattering cups as I leaped after Ash and grabbed my bag as he tossed it over his shoulder. "I'll strangle you for this Ketchum! You're in BIG trouble now!"

He ran into the trees and for a moment I lost him until I heard this ugly sound coming from not far away, Pikachu at my heels. "Pika?" He lifted his head then hid behind my legs, giving a soft whine as he pulled his ears down to try block out the noise.

"I know Pikachu. It's painful. Let's go put a stop to this torture." I sighed as the other three came running out after us. I pushed my way through the bushes, following the sound of ghastly sound of Ash's playing.

"Come on! Stupid thing, why won't you work?" Ash complained, fiddling with the flute as I stepped into the clearing he had found. "Is it broken?"

"No genius, you just don't know how to play it." I told him, walking forwards with Pikachu then swiped it from his grasp. "And for your information, this is one thing that you can't touch that's mine, got it? If you had broken this then I would have had your neck in a noose!" I seethed as Ash stood up and folded his arms.

"Why? Because _Gary_ gave it to you?" He asked with a cheeky drawl which made my blood boil.

"No! Because it's a valuable instrument that I love to play and because it's very delicate! In the hands of a complete buffoon like you then it'll snap into splinters within the minute!" I yelled back, standing my ground but inwardly I felt a little uncomfortable. It was sort of the truth I guess, this flute did mean a lot to me because it was given to me by Gary but let's not stress over the details.

"So if you're so smart, why don't you show us how you'd capture that Noctowl?" Ash suggested. "Go on, I bet _you_ could lure it in with that broken stick of yours." I growled, trying to get a hold of myself so I took a deep and calming breath.

"Fine. I'll do it. I'll lure in Noctowl then you try to capture it. If not then you let it go and we'll just say that I won, okay?"

"Fine with me. Get ready Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded his head as I sat down cross legged on the floor and wiped Ash's spit from my flute. Stupid Ash, he could have damaged it and then he'd be sorry he was ever born. Anyway, focus Ruby. Focus on the task at hand so you can watch Ash make a bitter fool of himself.

I drew in a deep breath as Ash hid in the bushes with the others then began to play. A high pitched melody sang out, bright but smooth, flowing from note to note as I drew in any Pokémon that was nearby, however judging by the interest that Noctowl had in humans and humiliating them, I could safely guess that it'll be the first to arrive.

Sure enough hardly a few beats into the song I heard a soft hoot and looked up to see it watching me, so I inclined my head, closed my eyes then continued to play. Suddenly Ash leaped out of the bushes and pointed up to the branch where Noctowl perched.

"Alright Pikachu, use your Thunder…what is that?" A sudden wind had sprung into life, slapping against us and I instantly curled up with a yell, holding my flute close to me as it whipped through my ponytail.

"Where did this wind come from?" Misty demanded tightly as she struggled to remain put and I crawled over to them, holding out my hand to Brock who pulled me in close to help shield me from the wind.

"Hey look there!" Ash said and we all looked up to see a giant Noctowl robot with huge sucker things, which turned out to be giant balloons blowing out air. Suddenly I could hear laughter and judging by the extravagance and dramatic entrance of this new peril, I guessed there was only one answer to this oddity. Team Rocket.

The moment the wind stopped the robot landed and the ground trembled, knocking the Noctowl out of the tree and to the ground as we all stood up. "That's not a real Noctowl!" Ash called out and I shot him a look before lightly smacking his head.

"You think?!" That's when the torture started. Oh, did I say torture? I'm sorry, I meant the good old fashioned Team Rocket motto!

"Prepare for trouble we're on the prowl…"

"Make it double we're in the big owl." Well. Here we go. Again.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" And they appeared, rising up slowly from within the Noctowl head as they introduced themselves to us for what must be the hundredth time.

"Jessie…"

"James."

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" Suddenly Meowth sprang up and spread its hands…I mean paws…with a goofy but kind of sweet smile.

"Meowth that's right! And we're going to capture that little Noctowl no matter what you twerps got to say about it!" In unison we all glared up at Team Rocket, our usual standoff beginning to take place as we yelled up together.

"No you won't!" Doctor Wiseman stepped forwards, craning his neck to look up at Team Rocket as they sneered down at us.

"You! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Do you have so little regard for your own Pokémon capturing skills that you needed to create this monstrous contraption just to catch one little Noctowl?! It's outrageous!" Wow…go Doctor Wiseman.

"For your information we didn't build this monstrosity we bought it." James told us, their faces unbothered by the doctor's smart little smack at their pride.

"But the box didn't include any instructions on how to be ashamed of anything." Jessie added before they giggled.

"They never play fair." Ash growled as Brock shouted up at them.

"What about the rules? Decent, honourable trainers only use their Pokémon to catch new ones."

"Yeah that's right!" Misty shouted up as well.

"Pika Pika!"

"Uh…guys? You do realise this is Team Rocket you're talking to? The three dirty trick professionals? Probably never done anything honest in all their life?" I reminded them and Team Rocket laughed in agreement.

"Those goody-goody two shoe rules don't apply to us!" Meowth announced from within the robot, his voice amped up on loudspeaker.

"Precisely. The only rule we follow is to do whatever we want to get whatever we want." Jessie continued in a sickly sweet tone that made my skin crawl.

"Now enough of this honourable stuff and let's get catching!" James called as the robot began to set into motion.

"Now we're going to grab that Noctowl and there's nothing you honourable twerps can do about it because we don't give two hoots about what you say!" He crowed but Ash wasn't about to give up that easily.

"You're not going to grab anything, Thunderbolt Pikachu!" He directed and Pikachu leaped forwards, growling out his name as he send a strong bolt up at the Noctowl and hit it squarely in the chest however it failed to do a thing against it, in fact it only reflected the attack and showered us with bolts of lightning! Oh great, we really need to start rethinking our tactics.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Pikachu's attacks aren't going to shock this baby!" Meowth told us and I could just _feel_ him smirking which only made me see red. Okay, time to turn up the heat and put in some real firepower!

"They're not going to get Noctowl! Totodile, Cyndaquil! Go!" Ash yelled as he sent out his two Pokémon so I grabbed mine to.

"Charizard! Let's lend a hand! Go!" Charizard flew out of his Pokéball with a roar, landing behind the two much smaller Pokémon with his eyes trained on the massive Noctowl machine without fear. "Alright Team Rocket, now you're in for it!" I thundered up at them.

"Oh yeah?" Meowth returned. "Well we've got something that'll shut you up you little whinge-bag!" Two pumps extended from the side of the robot Noctowl's head, attaching to the rims of the balloons then began to pump them up at a fast rate.

"Hurry Charizard, fly up there and burst their bubble!" I directed and Charizard lifted off into the sky with a growl, shooting towards the balloons and blasted a Flamethrower at them. "Wait a minute, where's Doctor Wiseman?" I asked, looking around to find that the man had disappeared. And so had Noctowl!

"Gotcha!" Jessie suddenly crowed and I turned to see that the giant machine had reached out with a talon and picked something up into the air. Doctor Wiseman! And he's got Noctowl!

"That creep tried to run away with Noctowl when it was knocked out by the fall!" Misty said with a sharp edge to her tone.

"How careless can someone get?" Brock demanded. "All he can think about is capturing that Noctowl when there are more pressing things at hand!"

"You said it Brock. I don't like him at all." I replied before shouting up at the sky. "Go Charizard! Wing Attack!" He roared and dove at the second balloon, the first one now successfully melted but Team Rocket now had a hold of Noctowl and were trying to lift off.

"I gotta get Noctowl back. We can't let Team Rocket take it away like this!" Ash suddenly announced then ran to a tree, climbing up into the branches then disappeared from sight.

"Ash! Where're you going?" Misty yelled as both Totodile and Cyndaquil looked around in confusion.

"It's alright guys, just stick with me. Totodile, aim your Water Gun at the left eye and Cyndaquil, you aim for the right with Flamethrower! Let's try and block their vision to give Ash some cover!" I told them and they nodded their heads, before carrying out my plan strategy.

Both Pokémon fired their attacks upwards as Charizard slashed, blasted and tore at the last balloon until it finally popped, letting go of all the air it had managed to take in before rising up above it and shot down a fiery plume to help try and melt through.

"Will you twerps stop that? If we don't return this monstrocity in one piece then we can't get our deposit back!" Jessie screeched as Ash leaped onto the claw then began to wrestle with it, trying to free Noctowl.

"Charizard, help Ash out buddy!" I called and Charizard swept down, grabbing the single talon with Ash then pulled, lifting it up slightly so that Noctowl had enough room to wriggle forwards then fly away with a chirp. "Now grab Ash, quick!" Before the claw could try to shake Ash off he jumped onto Charizard's back and my Pokémon carried him out of harm's way as Noctowl flew down and began to address the other Pokémon with loud, frantic hoots.

"Hey I think Noctowl is planning something with the other Pokémon." Brock said as Charizard landed and Ash leaped off, letting me race over to hug Charizard's head.

"Great work buddy." I smiled to him, resting my head against his as he growled softly.

"Look! Cyndaquil is super heating the metal!" Misty said and I looked up before turning to Charizard who nodded his head in understanding. He walked over to Cyndaquil's side then blasted a powerful, hot Flamethrower at the point where Cyndaquil was aiming, helping to heat it up even further before Totodile leaped forwards, kicking its leg with excitement and began to cool down the metal as both fire type Pokémon stepped back and allowed him the spotlight.

"Alright! Noctowl is a genius! They're spraying cold water onto the hot metal coating!" Brock realised and Misty gasped with a bright smile.

"The expanding and contracting is making that thing crack up!"

"Hey, maybe now we have a chance to get Team Rocket!" Ash cheered before running over with a laugh. "Okay hold it Totodile!" Ash called out then turned to Pikachu. "Your turn Pikachu, aim a Thunderbolt attack right where it's cracked!"

Pikachu jumped into the air with a familiar battle cry, sending all his energy into the attack which passed straight through the crack and even I could hear Team Rocket yelling in shock despite not being on loudspeaker.

Without warning the robot exploded and Charizard whirled around, spreading his wings with a flash and held me too him whilst protecting the others as well with a growl, tucking in his head against me to keep me safe as the smoke shot over us and the explosion rang in our ears.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

"Wobbuffet!" The echo sounded and I giggled as Charizard stepped back, folding back his wings then nodded his head in proud satisfaction as everyone assembled themselves, beaming proudly upwards as Ash walked forwards.

"You guys were all great. Thanks to you Team Rocket won't be bothering this forest anymore." He told them as Brock and Misty followed up behind him.

"True they were great, but we couldn't have done it without Noctowl." Brock reminded everyone as the Pokémon himself came flying into view, hooting chirpily as it landed on the branch above us then began to twist its head at us, flapping its wings still.

"What's it doing?"

"I'm not sure but it looks like it's trying to tell us something." Brock answered Ash as the doctor came forwards.

"You're right Brock. I believe Noctowl is saying it wants to challenge you Ash." Ash blinked in surprise as I climbed up onto Charizard's shoulder and sat there, watching with interest as Ash turned to face the doctor.

"But you want it." Wiseman nodded his head, however he seemed far more relaxed than when I had first met him, like a great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

"True but I've had my chance to try and capture it, and I've had no such luck. It's just too smart for me. Now it's your turn, and maybe you'll have better luck with it." He said with a chuckle. "Give it your best shot." Ash nodded his head then walked towards Noctowl as it waited patiently.

"Alright, I'm ready!" Ash called up then pointed outward with a finger. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Instantly Pikachu leaped forwards and up into the air, preparing to curl up and send out a bolt but Noctowl's eyes began to glow, staring intently at Pikachu whose eyes turned glassy and unfocused as he landed on the floor.

"Pika…Pikachu…Pika Pi…" He murmured in a daze, bolts of electricity shooting everywhere as Noctowl laughed in amusement. Hm, a playful one isn't it? Strong too, though it'll need more than that to be able to beat Ash Ketchum when he's got his eye on something.

Suddenly a bolt struck Pikachu and he jerked awake, shaking his head before grinning. "Pika!"

"Alright! That bolt shocked Pikachu out of its Hypnosis!" Noctowl dove down from the tree without warning, forcing Pikachu to quickly hit the deck before he bounded away towards a tree then turned to face Noctowl again as it swerved back around. "Pikachu, don't look into Noctowl's eyes! Use your ears to listen to its wing beats to aim your attack!" Ash advised, speaking loudly over to Pikachu who instantly closed his eyes and listened intently to the soft wing beat of Noctowl as it flew.

I waited with my breath caught in my throat, leaning forwards as Charizard watched with interest until finally, Pikachu took his shot. It was a direct hit, taking out Noctowl with one blast and it collapsed to the ground so Ash moved swiftly. "Pokéball go!"

The Pokéball spun around in an expert strike, drawing Noctowl into the Pokéball where it then snapped shut and dropped onto the ground, wriggling with the centre flashing and we all watched with great anticipation? Was this it? The moment someone finally outsmarted Noctowl?

Ping. Yup, it's that moment.

"We did it!" Ash cheered as he picked up the Pokéball then spun around proudly, holding it out to show us. "We just caught a Noctowl! Yeah!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered, jumping up as well and I giggled.

"You're really something, aren't you Ash?" I murmured softly, watching as he celebrated with Pikachu by spinning around with him. Charizard gave a soft growl, giving me an unimpressed look so I giggled. "Don't you worry, you have nothing to worry about with me falling for someone." I told him and he blinked. "Oh I know your game, you don't want me dating anyone because you want me all to yourself." Charizard blushed, growling with slight embarrassment as I gave a little laugh then flung my arms around him. "But don't worry, no matter how many boys I may date, or even when I get married, I'll always carry you in a very special place in my heart, and nothing nor no one can take you away from there." I told him, placing a kiss on his head and Charizard blushed further although he smiled happily, flicking out his wings as I chuckled and hugged him tightly.


	16. Chapter 16

As we finally walked over the rise we all stopped and either laughed with joy, exhaled with relief or just stood there staring at it in disbelief. "Hey look there! It's Goldenrod City." Ash said, pointing it out. It was kind of hard to miss, seeing as it was just so big!

When we got into the city, it became so hard to navigate that I ended up holding onto Misty and Brock just to keep from getting separated from them because there were so many people bustling about that it was almost impossible to breathe.

"Woah…this place is humongous!" Yeah it's great, can we go to the Pokémon Centre now? Suddenly Misty darted over to a window, looking inside as she gasped.

"And so are the savings in this store's annual super sale!" She exclaimed so I walked over to take a look myself.

"No way! I love those shoes!" I squealed but then quickly shook my head to focus. No I mustn't get distracted, have to find Pokémon Centre to collect egg and my Pokémon. This is no time for shopping or eating those delicious smelling hamburgers…

"We gotta go! We have a gym battle to win." Ash said, interrupting everyone but I stepped forwards.

"Ash, our Pokémon are tired. We'd be better off stopping at the Pokémon Centre first, plus I want Nurse Joy to look at Dratini because she's still not looking any better. And also I have a package there waiting for me that I have to go collect right now." I told him. "So let's go!" I grabbed him and Brock to drag them down the street, Misty hurrying to catch up.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Once everything has been sorted, _of course_ we can go window shopping and maybe buy some new things, because I could do with a new bag pretty soon, this one is starting to look old and was peeling apart around the edges.

We tried to find our way to the Pokémon Centre but all of the directions seemed to only take us further away or lead us to dead ends because they were so complicated! Someone really needs to figure this out. "Wait, so we took a left and then a right, but we should have taken a right and then a left?" I questioned as Brock looked at the guidebook map, which didn't really help much.

"I…think so? Everything is so complicated, there are so many streets here that it's like a labyrinth!" He said, pushing the map a little further away to try and see if he could spot the route any better from a distance.

"Just great. We've been walking around for an hour and now my feet are killing me." Misty complained. "And we're still no closer!" I was getting pretty impatient and worried right about now. Dratini was sick and needed Nurse Joy's help, and that egg needs me to protect it!

"Okay guys, desperate times call for desperate measures." I announced, turning around to face the main street from the dead ended alley we had taken then closed my eyes, pressing my fists together in front of me as I cleared all thought and emotion from myself and focused on the egg's energy.

"Ruby no! You know the professor said it's dangerous to try and use your gift, you could hurt yourself!" Misty said with worry, stepping forwards but I ignored her. "Ruby?" I was already focused on my inner self, pushing away all distractions then reached out for the sense I was looking for.

Suddenly I found it, a pulling that made me step forwards out onto the street to turn left, going back the way we came before I was pulled into a new street to the right, the others following me as I walked with worried and curious expressions. "You know it's kind of creepy when she does that." Ash murmured behind me.

"I still don't get what exactly it is Ruby can do. It's like she can just reach out and connect with any Pokémon, but how?" Brock replied as I took them down another street, my eyes still closed. "Maybe we should try asking Professor Oak about how his research is going into it."

"Ruby is not a research topic." Misty said pointedly, lifting her head up. "Although we know very little about this, I think Professor Oak is wrong when he tells her not to try and harness and develop her ability. She's never been any danger before so why shouldn't she at least try?"

"Because Professor Oak is experienced and knows what he's talking about?" Brock suggest simply before changing the subject. "Hey look! It's the Pokémon Centre!" Instantly I opened my eyes and dropped my stance, looking up to see the Pokémon Centre just down the street. Brock raced past me but I quickly sped forwards and overtook him, beating him to the desk where I instantly turned to Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy! You have to help me, please! My Dratini has been looking really sick for a week or two now and nothing I do helps, will you please take a look at her and make sure my other Pokémon are okay, please?"

"Of course! I'll see to your Dratini right away." She said, letting me hand over my Pokéballs but before she could leave I quickly caught her attention again.

"And there should be a package for me here? I'm Ruby Bates and I asked that it be sent here for me to pick up." I told her and she smiled.

"Oh yes of course! I've been wondering for a long time now if the package had been sent to the wrong address but I hung onto it just to make sure. It's right here for you." Nurse Joy said, ducking under the desk and pulled out a large box which she handed over to me. "And don't worry, I'll get your Pokémon back to fighting shape in no time." She assured me so I nodded my head and gave a wry smile before taking my box and sitting down with it.

"Hey, is that the egg?" Misty asked as the three of them walked over and I nodded my head as I peeled off the tape. "That's great! I can't wait to see it hatch, won't that be amazing?" She asked Brock who nodded his head.

"I'll admit I'm curious to see it hatch. If you need any help raising the egg Ruby then I'll be happy to lend a hand or give you some pointers." Brock told me so I gave a small smile.

"Thanks guys, you're the best." But Ash was now getting impatient.

"Come on! Let me see!" So I opened up the box and there it was, sitting in a portable incubator tank with a minimised Pokéball sitting on the top of the lid, my egg sitting safely inside with two Pokéballs resting beside it. "Wow that's so cool! Can I hold it?"

"No." I answered instantly. "I don't trust you not to drop it Ash Ketchum." I told him as I first lifted out Bulbasaur and Pidgeot's Pokéballs. "Hey guys, I've missed you both." I whispered before tossing them up into the air. "So come on out!"

I stood with the egg tank in my arms, watching as Pidgeot and Bulbasaur appeared. They blinked then looked at me, taking a moment to register my presence before they both beamed at me.

"Bulbasaur!"

"Pidgeo!" Bulbasaur wrapped his Vine Whip around me and lifted me up into the air as Pidgeot fluttered her wings, pecking at my ponytail and rubbing her head into me as I squealed with laughter, overjoyed to have them both back with me.

"I've missed you guys too! I was so worried about you all but you did a great job protecting the egg. Did you run into any trouble?" I asked but they both shook their heads. "Great, I'm glad neither of you got hurt at all." I smiled then felt a bubble of warmth grow inside my chest, a sensation of peace and gladness washing over me which I instantly knew came from the egg. "And I'm glad you're safe too." I whispered to it as Bulbasaur gently lowered me down.

Kneeling on the floor I beamed as I hugged him, rubbing his bulb in a massage to relax any tension there as Pidgeot folded her wings around us all, continuing to rub her head into me as I giggled. Well, now that the band is all back together we're only waiting on Dratini to get better. "Okay you two, I better call Professor Oak to let him know we're all together again safely." I said to them, kissing Bulbasaur's head then Pidgeot's as I stood up. "I'm very proud of both of you, so you both take a nice long rest to prepare for our Gym battle later! Okay?"

"Saur Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur nodded his head, giving me one last tickle with his vines before I returned him to his Pokéball.

"Pidgeo, Pidgeo Pidgeo!" Pidgeot said to me, gesturing to the egg and I nodded my head.

"I promise I'll look after it. Nothing will happen whilst I'm here to keep an eye on things and with you guys to help protect it." I told her, giving her one last hug before I returned her too then went over to the video phone as the others gave their Pokémon to Nurse Joy and Misty dragged Brock away by the ear.

The moment I called it was picked up by Tracey. "Hi Ruby, how's it going?" He asked and I smiled with a nod of my head.

"It's going great thanks Tracey, we've just got to Goldenrod City and we're getting our Pokémon checked out at the Pokémon Centre." I told him. "How are things down your end?"

"They're great! Being Professor Oak's assistant is such an honour, I learn more and more about Pokémon every day and everything seems to just go perfectly." Just then I heard a crash and I blinked in alarm as Tracey gave a nervous laugh. "Well, almost."

"Is that Ruby I hear?" Professor Oak asked as he walked on screen then turned to me with a smile. "Ah! Good to see you Ruby, and I can see you've got the egg safely. Well done. Now be careful with that, alright? Don't let too many people see it in case the wrong eyes notice it. I've already suffered a rather… _physical_ tantrum of your mother as she demanded to know what we were both thinking." The professor winced in memory and I felt his pain. When mom got _really_ angry, she tended to break things. A lot.

"Wow, sorry about that." I gave a grim smile before chuckling. "But I'll be fine. We're pretty tough trainers and our Pokémon are really strong, it would be hard to try and take this egg away from me unless someone was willing to have the fight of their lives for it."

"True. I have absolute faith in you. By the way, it seems Nurse Joy is wanting to have a word with you." I turned to find Nurse Joy standing behind me, however her face wasn't smiling and my heart instantly plummeted.

"What is it? What's wrong with her? Is everything okay?" I asked but Nurse Joy only sighed.

"I'm afraid I can't find anything wrong. She's perfectly healthy and in excellent condition. If anything I would say it was a mental issue and I'm worrying that she may be feeling a little depressed." Depressed? But why would she be feeling depressed?

"But Nurse Joy, I love all my Pokémon and I give them the best quality of life I can offer. I play with them, train with them, give them plenty of affection and spend time with them, how can Dratini be feeling depressed?"

"I'm not sure, it may just be a phase it's going through. Maybe after some proper relaxation and maybe even some time away from you, Dratini will snap out of its psycological state and return to normal." Nurse Joy told me as I hung my head. "Don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong. It just happens sometimes when Pokémon feel a little down on themselves."

"Okay. Thanks Nurse Joy." I said so she smiled and lifted a tray with all my other Pokémon.

"On the other hand, your other Pokémon are in the best of health they can be. I'm very impressed with the way your take care of your Pokémon, Ruby, I can see that you spend a lot of time tending to their every needs." I took my Pokémon back and thanked Nurse Joy who gave a polite little bow then returned to her desk whilst I just looked down sadly at Dratini's Pokéball.

"Oh dear, I hadn't realised Dratini was feeling so unwell." Professor Oak said to me as I turned around.

"I just don't understand it. Maybe if I try to…"

"No, absolutely not. I forbid it!" Professor Oak quickly interjected as he read my mind. "You know how I feel about this, Ruby."

"But Dratini needs help!" The professor hummed in thought, scratching his chin until finally snapping his fingers with a smile.

"I've got an idea. How about you send your Dratini over to me for a while. It'll give me a chance to study it and try to find out what's wrong." He said to me before giving a little laugh. "And I know Tracey has been eager to do some sketches of Dratini for a long time now." Sighing in defeat I nodded my head.

"Okay." I looked down to Dratini with a soft smile before kissing her Pokéball. "Just get better for me, please?" I whispered before putting her in the transportation unit. "I'm sending her over to you now."

"Pokéball received." Professor Oak nodded his head, lifting up the Pokéball to let me see. "Your Dratini has arrived here safely. Don't worry Ruby, you just focus on your next gym battle and don't worry about a thing." Easier said than done, I was fretting over Dratini more than a Kangaskhan over a lost baby!

"No problem professor, thanks a lot." I said to him, putting on a brave face until the call finally cut out. I found a seat and dropped down in it, hugging the egg to me as I tried not to think about my poor Dratini.

"Hey Ruby, it turns out the gym is actually closed for today." Brock said as the others walked up to me.

"And we figured you could do with some cheering up." Ash said, looking perfectly serious with a smile.

"So, we thought we could go shopping and get something to eat!" Misty said brightly. "How does that sound?" I took a deep breath, letting all worry and concern wash over me before I stood and smiled at my friends.

"It sounds great, I vote hamburgers." So we head out and went to the galleria, where it was full of floors dedicated to food whilst the others were full of clothes, shoes, accessories, trainer equipment and everything else you could ever want! Sweet!

We went to the food court first and bought ourselves a big lunch to make sure we had enough energy to search the entire place for bargains and great stuff to buy. Misty and I did most of the shopping with the boys only tagging along to find stuff that may interest them, though Brock was pretty happy to check out the latest camping cooking utensils and all the pretty girls that walked past.

"Hey Ruby, what do you think of this one?" Misty asked, holding up a dark blue jumper with lighter blue bubbles on it. I hummed in thought, taking it from Misty to hold up against her and see how it looked.

"I think it would look great!" I decided and she giggled before putting it back. Of course we never bought anything unless with seriously needed it or it was at a bargain price. I bought my parents a pretty china statue of the three stages of Pidgey all nestled neatly on three branches at a jaw dropping price, so I had it wrapped, boxed and sent it off to them for a souvenir.

I was walking along through another aisle when I noticed something small glinting at me on one of the market stalls. I stopped to look at it, blinking softly before picking it up. It was a small silver charm like my Charmander, only it was a Dratini. I stared at it, watching it glint in the light before feeling tears rise to my eyes.

"Yes dear, it is rather precious isn't it?" The old lady tending the stall smiled kindly to me as I sniffed and wiped my eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine, thank you. It's just my Dratini hasn't been well for a long time now." I said to her with a wry smile. "I've been getting really worried."

"Aw, poor pet. Well, I have plenty of other charms if you'd like to look at them." She said to me, bringing the velvet padded tray of charms towards me so that I could have a look. "You take a look and select as many as you like."

"Thank you, they're all very beautiful. Did you make them?" I asked but the sweet old lady chuckled.

"No of course not. My husband does, only he has a quick temper and isn't very good at handling customers, though his work is everywhere. I see you already have one of ours." He noted, picking up my right wrist to look at it with a tender look on her face. "A Charmander?" She said questioningly so I explained.

"It was a birthday present from my best friends, they chose a Charmander because it was my very first Pokémon, though he's evolved into a Charizard now."

"Why, that's quite impressive. I see you're from Kanto, am I correct?" Nodding my head the lady smiled to me. "Well, you take your time to have a look through. We have all kinds and they are all on offer today." So I looked through every single one of them, admiring each before selecting the ones I wanted to buy.

I chose a Pidgeot, a Bulbasaur, and an Eevee for me but also a Charmeleon and Charizard to complete the set as well as the Dratini, before choosing another five for an extra bargain price. So this time I chose a Togepi, Totodile, an Onix, Vulpix and finally, of course, a Pikachu. "Well, it seems you have quite a selection there. Are all those Pokémon ones you own?" The lady asked me as I paid but I shook my head.

"No, these ones belong to my friends. I thought I'd get them as a way of saying thank you for being such great friends." I told her and she paused, a slow smile growing on her face before she picked up the Dratini then handed it to me.

"Here, you can have that one." She said as I blinked in surprise. "For being such a sweet girl and as a good luck charm, to help your Dratini get better." I had to blink quickly to hold back my tears as I smiled at her.

"Thank you so much." I said and slipped the ring onto my bracelet, setting it next to the Charmander before adding my others as well. I carefully slipped the others into my pocket, glancing once more over the Pokémon charms and the lady noticed my hesitation.

"Was there another one you were looking for pet?" She asked and I blushed.

"Oh…just a Squirtle. I was hoping to give it to my other friend who doesn't travel with us." I said. "But I won't take up your time any longer, thank you so much…"

"Now just hold on little missy, I may have some more in stock. You just wait right there." She directed before moving slowly with a shuffle over to the boxes at the back, rifling through them whilst humming under her breath.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something else I thought would be great to send back to Fraiser and Agatha back at the Safari Zone. I've been sending them emails and postcards for a long time now, the three of us staying in contact and I could see a stand of postcards next to a souvenir shop. "Here we are." The lady said, producing a little Squirtle charm and I instantly beamed.

"Thank you so much!" I said, reaching to get my money to pay for it but she shook her head.

"No, no, you keep that one two. I like you, little sweetheart, so you take that and good luck with all that you aim for." She said and I watched her carefully, regarding her sweet smile and motherly features.

"Thank you." I said to her, tucking the charm safely away. "And I will, I'll make sure that I will! Goodbye now!" I said, waving as I walked away so that some new customers could choose what they wanted.

I bought a postcard and some new gloves for Fraiser since he'd been complaining recently that his were getting old and I bought a new woollen hat for Agatha as I knew she had been meaning to get one for a while now but they were always so busy at the safari that they just didn't have time. I boxed these and sent them off too after writing in the postcard, smiling as I handed it over at the post office before racing to meet the others under the big cloak in the centre court.

"Hey you guys! I bought you all something!" I called, catching my breath as I met up with them.

"Oh hey Ruby, we were starting to think you'd gotten lost." Misty said as Togepi chirped in her arms. "You really bought us something? That's so sweet!"

"Yeah, I figured I owed you all something, since you guys are the best friends I've ever had so here." I said with a blush, handing out the Pokémon charms to each. Misty got the Togepi and Totodile with a little joke saying at least now she's got the Totodile she wanted, which made her giggle and beam at me.

"Thanks Ruby, they're beautiful!" To Brock I gave the Vulpix and Onix, which he smiled down at before pulling me into a one armed hug.

"They're really great, thanks Ruby." He said before attaching them both to the zip of his bag.

"Hey! What did you get me?" Ash asked so I shrugged.

"Oh I forgot about you. Sorry Ash." His face plummeted and Pikachu mirrored his expression by crashing on Ash's shoulder. I kept it bottled up inside for as long as I could before finally cracked up and started to laugh. "Only kidding, here you go Ash." I said and gave him the Pikachu charm. "For luck in our next gym battle." I said as he laughed, holding it up to the light.

"Wow it's awesome! Thanks Ruby!" I nodded my head, glad that everyone liked their gifts as I reached into my pocket and felt the little Squirtle, thinking of who I was planning on giving it to. Though until then…why waste such a pretty little thing? So I hooked it only my bracelet next to the Bulbasaur, smiling before walking with my friends back to the Pokémon Centre for some good rest before tomorrow.

* * *

Ash was crushed. He'd lost his battle against Whitney and his Pokémon were now in recovery after he'd rushed them there. I walked into the Pokémon Centre slowly, glancing around before looking at Brock. "How do I tell him?"

"Easy, just say it outright and then help him out by explaining how you defeated Miltank. It's important that you be honest but also supportive to Ash as his friend but at the same time, don't rub it in." I nodded my head, taking a deep breath before walking over to Ash and Misty as they waited for us to get back.

"Hey! How did it go?" Misty asked as she noticed us, standing up. "Did you win?" Ash lifted his head, eyes fixing on me as I gulped.

"Yeah. I uh…I beat Whitney." I told them both and Misty instantly smiled proudly.

"That's awesome! Isn't that great Ash?" He nodded his head.

"Yeah. Congratulations Ruby." I stumbled slightly, hearing Ash so in defeat was something I was not used to. He always used to come out on top no matter who he faced. I had had to wait for Whitney to get her Pokémon healed by Nurse Joy but the moment she got back to the gym she battled me only this time, she wasn't so lucky. But now I just felt bad because Ash had lost and he was feeling pretty beat up about it.

"Thanks Ash. So how are your Pokémon?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Fine. They should be back to normal by tomorrow." Again that dead, senseless tone. Brock and Misty looked at one another with worry but I took a deep breath then sat down beside him.

"You know, it was a really close battle. I struggled with that Miltank but I used Eevee's dig to knock it up into the air before hitting it with Swift." I told him gently. "I know you feel bad about it now, but tomorrow you'll be able to challenge her again and this time, I know you'll win! You know why?" I asked and he shook his head, not bothering to verbally answer. "Because you're Ash Ketchum! And I've known you since we were both in diapers, and you never give up on anything." I stood up, placing my hands on my hips as I stood before him. "So I know that you won't give up until you have that Plain Badge, because you're on your way to become the greatest Pokémon Master there ever was. If winning gym battles was easy then it'll be no fun and no challenge, so think of this as just a little bump in the road."

"Ruby is right Ash. I bet after a good meal and some rest, you'll be ready to face Whitney again and now that you know what you're up against, you can plan a strategy." Brock agreed as Ash slowly lifted his head, blinking up at us.

"Yeah! You may be stubborn Ash, but sometimes that's a good thing. You're a hothead and rather reckless but somehow that creates a good strategy as you're able to then focus and use your crazy ideas to your advantage." Misty agreed as we all stood before Ash, giving him encouraging smiles as he slowly stood up. He took a deep breath, wiped his eyes clean then nodded his head with a new, focused and determined smile.

"You're right! This is just a little setback which I can overcome with my Pokémon!" He said, clenching his fists in a battle stance before he relaxed and looked around at us all. "Thanks guys, you're the greatest." In answer I reached out and hugged him, winding my arms around his neck in a sensitive gesture which he returned and Misty joined in with, Brock placing his arms around the three of us.

* * *

"Come on." He said after a while in a gentle tone. "Let's go get something to eat."


	17. Chapter 17

The next morning we went straight down to find Pikachu, Cyndaquil and Totodile completely healed. Ash laughed, spreading his arms as Chansey ushered them out of the overnight room. "Hey guys!" He ran to them as Pikachu called out his name then jumped into his arms, snuggling into Ash's shoulder as he held him carefully. "Pikachu, Cyndaquil, Totodile, that was a great battle yesterday." He told them proudly as they danced around him.

"Good morning!" Someone called out and we turned to see Whitney walked towards us. "Hi!"

"Hi Whitney!" Brock greeted with a slight blush to his cheeks.

"I came to see how all the Pokémon were doing after yesterday's big battle." She explained as she continued to walk towards Ash and his Pokémon as they all smiled. "Pikachu!" Whitney beamed, holding out her arms and Pikachu leaped into them with a squeal. "I have a special place that I think you're all going to love!" She said as she turned and walked off with Pikachu smiling over her shoulder. "Come on everybody! Follow me!"

"Uh…" Ash blinked, staring after Whitney before he held out his hand. "Wait up!" I quickly picked up Cyndaquil, in one arm and settled him on my shoulder as I held the egg and its incubator carefully, smiling up at him before following after Ash as Brock picked up Totodile and together, we all raced after Whitney and Pikachu. "Oh right, return you two!" Ash said, stopping to return Cyndaquil and Totodile after he'd stopped at the door to look back.

"Honestly Ash, you'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on." I said with a shake of my head before smiling down at the egg. "Right?" I got a little blip of a laughing sensation in return, making me smile further before running after the others.

Whitney led us out of the city a lot quicker than I would have thought she'd have been able to. Maybe this time she really knew where she was going. "So Whitney." I said, jogging a few steps to catch up with her. "Where are we going?"

"To a dairy." She told us cheerfully, still carrying Pikachu as we trekked up the hill. Ash looked at her with a bewildered expression, tilting his head to the side and arching his eyebrow.

"A dairy?"

"Yup! It belongs to my uncle Milton. It's a Miltank dairy. There are dozens and dozens of Miltank dairies in the hills around Goldenrod City but I think my uncle's is the cream of the crop." She told us with a bright expression. "And the Miltank cream is so nutritious that I just know it'll help your Pokémon power up again." She laughed and Pikachu turned an excited smile up to her.

"Pika!" We began to pass a fence and on the other side the field was full of Miltank, either eating or sleeping but all of them looking rather sweet and quite huggable. We all beamed in admiration, watching the Miltank as we continued up the road.

"Look at 'em all!" Ash said as we saw the next hill over were full of Miltank too.

"There must be a million Miltank here!" Suddenly Whitney stopped and looked over the fence, lifting her head up as she spotted someone.

"There he is! Good morning Uncle Milton!" She called over with a big wave, getting her uncle's attention as he shovelled more hay onto a pile. "I brought some friends for a visit!" I watched him stand up then instantly laughed. He wore a hat and scarf just like mine! Maybe I'd fit right in here.

"Hey! Morning Whitney!" He called back, walking over to then stop and lean on his pitchfork. "What mighty fine friends you have here. Say, that's a fine looking hat and necktie you got there missy." He said to me and I nodded my head with a grin.

"Thanks! The hat is from an old friend of mine. He's a ranger on the Safari Zone back in Kanto." I told him and he chuckled.

"Well, I bet you kids are all thirsty. How about you come into the house and I'll fix ya'll something to drink?" He suggested and instantly we all licked our lips, knowing exactly what he meant. Time to taste the cream of creams!

Sure enough once we were inside the neat, cosy little cottage Milton went into the kitchen and brought out drinks for everybody. "Now, who wants a little taste of Milton's finest?" He asked as we all leaned forwards with thirst.

"I've always wondered what Miltank milk tastes like." Brock said as we all nodded our heads.

"Ash why don't you let out your Totodile and Cyndaquil so they could have some too?" Whitney suggested so Ash nodded his head.

"Right. Totodile! Cyndaquil! Come on out guys!" He called and they appeared with either a happy dance or squeal. I poured some of the cream into a bowl and set it down before Totodile and Cyndaquil as Misty gave a glass to Togepi and Ash gave another to Pikachu. "Drink up guys!" We all chorused before drinking our own portions.

Never have I tasted something so creamy yet light and thirst quenching. It was delicious! "Ay-yay-yay!" We all sang, eyes sparkling as we touched our cheeks in delight.

"It tastes great!"

"Better than great!" Ash corrected Misty as Brock sighed dreamily.

"I could go for seconds!"

"Me too!" I agreed with a laugh, downing the rest but then a thought struck me. My hand rested on my egg case, though my thoughts drifted off to Dratini. Maybe this Miltank milk could help her feel a little better. I know I'm certainly not feeling so down, so perhaps a little drink of this will help her get back to her old self again.

We all sat down and helped ourselves to more, though I paused on my second glass. "Mr Milton? I was wondering…you see I have a Pokémon who isn't feeling very well. It's my Dratini, she's been feeling under the weather for some time now and I was wondering…" He chuckled at my nervous asking.

"You were wondering if you could give it some Miltank milk to help get its strength back up." He said and I nodded my head with a little blush. "Well how could I refuse a little lady in such a fine hat? Of course you can have some more, just bring out your Pokémon and we'll have it set right in no time."

"Oh I can't, I sent Dratini over to Professor Oak to see if he could find the problem. I was wondering if I could maybe take some with me to give to her when I get her back." I explained and Whitney smiled.

"Of course! It's no problem. Right uncle?" She turned to Milton who nodded his head with a warm smile.

"Of course it's not, I'll just get you a can of Moo-Moo milk so you can take it with you." He said, rising up and going into the kitchen before returning with a carton of Miltank milk. "Here you go little missy, I'll let you have that one, free of charge."

"Oh thank you so much! You both are the greatest!" I cheered, finally feeling hopeful about Dratini's case. Maybe with a little sip of this she'll start to get better! And thinking about it, maybe I could add this milk into the Pokémon food somehow for extra nourishment. I'll have to start experimenting with Brock.

"Wow Togepi, you're on your third glass!" Misty praised as Togepi sucked the milk out of the glass with a straw, trilling happily at the wonderful taste.

"Yeah me too. This stuff is just great! No wonder Pokémon love it." Brock said as I drained my third glass as well.

"There's plenty more kids so help yourself." Milton said as Whitney chuckled.

"Miltank milk can also be made into cheese and yoghurt, which is just as nutritious as its milk and can be eaten by both Pokémon and humans." Awesome!

"I'd love to try some of that." Ash said and I nodded my head.

"Me too, imagine all the different things you could cook with Miltank cheese to make it taste even better!" I was just thinking of a huge bowl of spaghetti bolognaise with Miltank cheese sprinkled on top. Hmm…delicious.

"Why don't I go get a whole bunch of things for you guys to try?" This place is heaven! I may never leave it!

"Good idea." Milton agreed as Whitney stood and walked off to go grab some samples. She went through the kitchen and into the parlour, however what we heard next was her shouting.

"Come back here! Stop!" Huh? What's going on? I looked up to see none other than Team Rocket escaping through the kitchen and out the front door, carrying all kinds of Miltank produce with them. Hey! That food is not for stealing! It's for me to sample right now!

"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled as he leaped up but I was already running out the door.

"Come on you guys! Let's get them!" With that everyone bolted out the door and chased after Team Rocket as they made a break for it, carrying a startling amount of cheese, milk, cream and yogurt without dropping a single thing.

"We can't let them get away!" Ash called back to us so I smirked, picking up a Pokéball.

"Don't worry." I said to him as I flung it forwards. "We won't! Bulbasaur go!" Bulbasaur landed on the ground with a flash, taking shape before looking around to see us running towards him. "Now Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to stop Team Rocket from getting away with all that stolen food!"

"Bulbasaur!" He nodded and turned around, facing Team Rocket before shooting out his vines and whipped out their feet from underneath them, sending them tumbling to the ground with a startled yell, the goods flying out of their hands.

"Now grab that milk!" I said with a grin.

"Saur Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur quickly began to grab all the foodstuffs as they fell through the air and smartly flicked them back to us in order, right into our arms which we all caught with a laugh.

"Way to go Bulbasaur!" I cheered, holding onto the egg as I grabbed a carton of milk then ran over to my Pokémon to praise and hug him. "You were great, you stopped Team Rocket right in their tracks and rescued all the food!"

"Bulba! Saur Saur!" Bulbasaur beamed, wrapping his vines tightly around me in a sign of affection as he licked my cheek, making me giggle and lose focus of what was around me. When I looked up however it was to see Miltank powering into Arbok and Weezing with its Rollout attack, slamming into them once to send both of them back into Team Rocket and a second time to send them flying.

"We're blasting off again!" I laughed, standing up with Bulbasaur at my side.

"Have a nice flight!" I yelled after them with a wave before walking back over to the others with Bulbasaur and the milk. "That was awesome Whitney. Your Miltank's Rollout is really something." I said to her as she beamed at me.

"Thanks! Your Bulbasaur was great too! Its Vine Whip attack was so quick I almost didn't see it." She praised, kneeling down to rub Bulbasaur's head. "You're a lucky Pokémon to have such a great trainer like Ruby you know, I hope you take good care of her!"

"Bulbasaur!" My Bulbasaur nodded his head, giving Whitney's face a lick which made her giggle before standing upright.

"And thank you all for your help, how can we ever repay you?" Milton asked us but Ash was all ready with an answer.

"I would sure like to learn more about Miltank." He said so Whitney nodded her head.

"I have a way you can brush up on the Miltank!" She told us before walking over to the cottage. "Come on, I'll show you!" So she had us _literally_ brushing up on the Miltank. Grooming them spotless, though I didn't mind because it was the kind of thing I enjoyed.

"Hey Eevee, how about you come on out and join us?" I suggested, letting her out of her Pokéball. "Come and play!"

"Eevee!" She trilled happily, blinking sweetly up at me before running around in a circle to chase her tail. I chuckled as she played, leaping around the field as Bulbasaur helped me to brush this Miltank I had been assigned, gently smoothing the brush over its fur with one of his vines.

"You're doing great Bulbasaur." I told him proudly, giving his head a rub. "I think Miltank is really enjoying this, aren't you Miltank?" Miltank gave a moo in reply, rolling over for us to reach her other side and I giggled before continuing my work.

"Hey Ruby! Whitney's going to train on the hill and we're going to watch, are you coming?" Ash called and I looked up before nodding my head.

"Okay! Just one minute!" I finished the last patch of fur before patting the Miltank on the head gently. "There you go, all nice and clean. Come on Eevee! Bulbasaur! Let's go!" I called and they rushed after me from where they had been playing.

I followed the others to the hill where Whitney stood about hallway down with her Miltank at the top. "Okay Miltank, show me your Rollout!" Miltank nodded its head then leaped up, curling into a tight ball before speeding down the hill at an alarming pace. "Okay Miltank, now roll back up the hill!"

Before Miltank could hit Whitney it turned and began to roll back up the hill, losing some of its speed but still keeping up the power. "Wow, with workouts like these it's no wonder that Miltank is so tough to beat." Brock said in appreciation as Ash just watched intently, trying to figure out a weakness.

Miltank jumped up at the top, waving its arms to signal it had reached the peak and Whitney smiled. "That was excellent Miltank, let's do it again!" Miltank began to run circles, going up and down like nobody's business. It was pretty awesome to watch and a little frightening too.

Without warning something came rolling into view at the top, crushing bushes and shadowing the sun as it glared down at us, making everyone gasp in fear as Miltank jumped out of its Rollout to stare. "It's a giant barrel!" Whitney stared in bewilderment. Just then the top opened and Team Rocket rose up in style with snide little smirks on their faces.

"A barrel it is so prepare for trouble!" Jessie announced as she rose, holding out a hand as James folded his arms and stood with a proud stance.

"And you're over it, so make it double." Huh? Wait…what? You know, I really don't get their rhyming anymore. It just doesn't seem to make sense. Unwilling to suffer through their act, I shook my head and shouted out to them.

"Just get on with it! What do you losers want?" I demanded to know as Eevee and Bulbasaur both stood in front of me protectively, battle faces on and ready to go.

"Losers? Who are you calling losers?" James demanded but Jessie merely rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"Just give us that Miltank and we'll be rolling on our way." She told us but Ash stepped forwards as well.

"No way!"

"Fine." Meowth shrugged, pulling a control pad out from behind him. "Then we'll just take it." With a press of a button the left side of the barrel opened up and an arm shot out at alarming speed, a giant red hand stuck on the end and it grabbed Miltank before we could even blink.

"Oh please, no!" Whitney cried, reaching out to try and grab Miltank but it was too late, Team Rocket had already snatched it up.

"Afraid so, gotta go!" They chorused before slipping back down into their weird machine thing with laughter. That's when the other arm shot out from the other side of the barrel and it began to roll forwards, descending the hill and looming closer as it grew larger and larger.

"Everybody look out!" Brock yelled, grabbing Whitney to pull her out the way as we all dove for cover. I turned and ran with Eevee and Bulbasaur, racing down the hill with that barrel only a few metres behind us as the other hand reached out and snatched Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled, trying to stop and turn but I reached out and grabbed his sleeve to keep him moving.

"We'll get Pikachu later, just run for now genius!" I yelled then pulled out two Pokéballs. "Bulbasaur, Eevee! Return!" I called and they disappeared safely into their Pokéballs which I quickly slipped onto my belt then hugged onto the egg for all I was worth.

"Milton! We're being attacked! Get the Miltank out of there!" Whitney yelled down to her uncle as we continued to race down the hill, however it seems Ash had had enough.

"If we run away then they get away. Cyndaquil, I choose you!" Ash yelled, facing down the giant barrel with his little mousey Pokémon. "Cyndaquil, we've gotta stop that barrel!" Ash said boldly and Cyndaquil fired itself up before running forwards bravely and I stopped to watch with wide eyes. "Cyndaquil! Tackle attack on its left side!" Ash directed and Cyndaquil powered into the left side with all its might, stopping the barrel in its tracks to make it spin around like a spinning top. Alright! "Good work Cyndaquil." Ash praised as the two of them looked up at their handiwork.

"Cynda!"

"Okay Totodile, I choose you!" Ash selected next, throwing his Lure Ball out and Totodile jumped into view, already kicking up its legs excitedly though Ash remained focused. "Totodile! Dig some ditches with your Water Gun attack!" What was Ash planning? This looks interesting and if I know Ash, it's going to be awesome too.

Just as the barrel stopped spinning Totodile leaped up into the air and used his powerful Water Gun attack to blast long craters into the ground in direct line of the barrel. Oh I get it! With those trenches, the barrel will lose its element of speed when using the slope of the hill!

Sure enough as the barrel started to roll down again, it struck the first ditch then went flying up into the air, until it struck another ditch and met a similar fate. "Alright! Those ditches knocked Team Rocket's big barrel of course and now they're stopped dead in their tracks!" Brock realised as Totodile celebrated with another dance.

The barrel struck the ground and the two hands opened up, releasing both Miltank and Pikachu. "Miltank!" Whitney ran over to her Pokémon and embraced it with relief as Pikachu leaped into Ash's arms.

"Pika Pi!"

"Pikachu! I'm glad you're okay!" Ash laughed, holding Pikachu securely before we all turned to face the barrel with stormy expressions. Those creeps had tried to steal all of Milton's Miltank as well as Pikachu. Now that's a felony in my books and they're going to pay for it.

"Ash? Would you like to do the honours?" I asked with a growl as we continued our glowering glare.

"Glad to. Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash pointed and Pikachu ran up his arm to leap off, jumping into the air with his cheeks sparking brightly.

"Pika! Pika…CHUUUU!" The entire barrel lit up, conducting the electricity until it short circuited and exploded all at once. I turned my face away and shielded the egg, holding it away from the blast to keep it safe and didn't turn around until the echo of Team Rocket's second farewell motto had died away and the dust had once again settled.

"Well, who knew dairy farms could be such a blast?" I said and everyone chuckled at my dry taste in humour until Milton turned to face Ash.

"Ash, if there's anything I can do to say thank you for saving all my Miltank, you just tell me." He said and Ash blushed a little, scratching his face modestly.

"Well I…"

"Come on Ash." Whitney said with a broad smile. "There must be something we can do!" Ash turned a serious expression around to her and nodded his head.

"Yes. There is." He admitted and Whitney blinked.

"Yeah?"

"I'd like to have another chance to battle you and Miltank." She blinked in surprise, obviously expecting something different but nodded her head all the same.

"Alright, how about tomorrow?" She suggested but Ash being Ash, was a little too impatient to wait another day for a gym battle.

"Let's battle right here right now and if I win, I get another shot at a gym battle and the Plain Badge." He said to her and Whitney listened carefully. "What do you say?" Then she chuckled.

"Why not? You've earned it." She agreed so she walked a little distance away before turning to face Ash, her Miltank at her side. I walked over to Misty, Brock and Milton, observing the battle from a safe distance though Misty was a little confused.

"What's he doing? Nothing's changed since Miltank won last time." She said so I gave a secret smile, closing my eyes to picture how Ash had defeated Team Rocket's barrel.

"No, nothing's different with Miltank but things are very different with Ash. I think he's now able to understand Miltank and how it battles, which may have given him some sort of strategy to defeat it. I guess we'll just have to watch and see." I said and Brock nodded his head.

"I agree."

"We're both ready over here Ash!" Whitney waved over to Ash from her side of the ground they were going to be using. "We can start the match whenever you want to!"

"Okay!" Ash called back as he stood then looked down to his Pokémon. "You know what to do Cyndaquil." He said and the little fire Pokémon fired up before walking out onto the battlefield.

"Let's do it Miltank, Rollout!" Miltank sprang up into the air then barrelled towards Cyndaquil who stood his ground.

"Cyndaquil, Tackle attack!" I watched as Cyndaquil tackled Miltank but the attack just bounced off, and Cyndaquil was thrown back a few paces, though he landed on his feet and Ash urged him to stay strong. Cyndaquil tackled again and again.

"Ash can't win if he does the same thing as last time." Misty worried as Cyndaquil was thorn high up into the air again then landed on the ground.

"Agh! Are you okay?" Ash asked as Cyndaquil tried to stand but his legs gave out beneath him, too tired to continue the match. "Cyndaquil return!" Ash recalled Cyndaquil then smiled at the Pokéball. "Thanks Cyndaquil, you did great." Ash told it proudly before turning down to Totodile. "Alright Totodile, you're up next!"

"To-to, To-to…dile!" It sang before charging out onto the battlefield.

"Go Totodile, you know what to do!" Ash said to Totodile who leaped up and began to blast ditches in the ground though Whitney was none the wiser.

"Go get 'em Miltank, you know what to do too!" She directed and Miltank went ahead with the Rollout whilst Totodile continued to dig the trenches.

"What's going on? What's Totodile doing?" Misty asked in confusion as we observed. Totodile suddenly charged forwards again, only this time his eyes were focused on Miltank.

"Do it Totodile!" Totodile sprang up into the air then used Water Gun on the ground to twist in the air, turning until finally he landed neatly on Miltank's back and began to dance on top of it, letting it roll with him. "Perfect, Totodile!" Ash smirked with satisfaction as Whitney frowned.

"Get that Totodile off you Miltank!" Miltank leaned left and right, trying to shake Totodile off but only succeeded when it gave a little jump and Totodile flew through the air, still kicking its legs. "Finish it off Miltank!" Miltank struck Totodile as it acme into landed, striking with such force that Totodile was knocked out with the one hit.

"Totodile return! Go Pikachu!" Ash called and Pikachu leaped forwards.

"Pika!" Whitney smirked confidently, holding up the one finger as she sang out.

"That's two Pokémon down and one Pikachu to go!" Miltank just kept on rolling, gaining attack power and speed but Ash concentrated on the battle.

"Pikachu, use your Agility!" Ash quickly directed and Pikachu sped out the way, leaving the path clear for Miltank as it rolled towards the trenches. It struck the first and lost speed, almost getting stuck before it managed to pull itself out again.

"Miltank no!" Whitney called as Brock suddenly cheered.

"Ash is…winning!" With each hit against a trench Miltank lost speed and attack power, leaving it more vulnerable.

"We got 'em now! Do it Pikachu!" Pikachu darted forwards with Agility before disappearing, hiding in one of the trenches as Miltank came powering forwards.

"Oh no!" Realisation dawned on Whitney as Miltank rolled over the trench and Pikachu leaped up, pushing Miltank into the air. Hey! That's just how Eevee and I did it! Way to go Ash! As Miltank uncurled with a confused cry Ash got serious again.

"Use your Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Ash ordered and Pikachu instantly leaped up into the air and struck Miltank with a powerful Thunderbolt, striking it mid-air and leaving it paralysed as it hit the ground, static dancing across its body. It tried to get up, pushing on its front hooves but then collapsed back down, too exhausted to continue.

"Miltank!" Whitney cried out then ran over to Miltank whilst Ash punched the air in victory.

"Ash and Pikachu win!" Milton declared, lifting his arm towards Ash and Pikachu who was panting for breath.

"Ash knew what he was doing after all!" Misty cheered as we all looked at Ash proudly.

"Miltank…are you alright?" I looked over to Whitney as she helped Miltank sit upright, looking with concern as Ash slowly approached.

"Whitney, is Miltank going to be okay?" He asked her politely and Whitney nodded her head, standing up.

"Miltank just needs a rest, but I need to give you something Ash." Whitney said, reaching behind her into her back pocket then drew out a square badge. The Plain Badge! "It's the Plain Badge. It's yours." She told him decisively as Ash stared at in in both wonder and confusion.

"But don't you have to win a match at a gym to win a gym badge?" He questioned as we all approached.

"The gym isn't what's most important, Ash." Milton told him, one hand in his pocket as he smiled down at Ash warmly. "Whitney knows a gym is just a building, what's most important is that you beat a gym leader's top Pokémon fair and square. Right Whitney?" Whitney nodded her head.

"That's right Uncle Milton!" She agreed as Ash turned back to her with a relieved and overjoyed expression.

"In that case, I'll take it!" He declared then reached out to pick up his newest badge. "Take a look guys! We did it!" He said as us spun around, holding his badge up to the light the way he always did whenever he won a new badge.

"Pi Pikachu!" We all laughed at Ash's expense before Milton made an excellent suggestion.

"How about we all go in for another glass of Miltank milk? You've all worked pretty hard today and I think you've earned it."

"Great idea uncle, come on guys, let's go!" Whitney said, racing off to the cottage and we all chased after her, minds set on another glass of delicious creamy milk. We washed it down with some fresh scones, butter, cheese and then finished it all off with some cooling ice cream, tasting all the delights that Whitney had originally promised us.

"Ah…that was the greatest dinner I've ever tasted." Brock said as he kicked back a little and relaxed. "You guys are definitely the best dairy farm there is." Whitney chuckled.

"Why thank you Brock, that's very sweet of you." She said as I looked out the window.

"It's getting pretty late guys, maybe we should start heading back before it gets too dark." I suggested and Misty nodded her head, standing up.

"Yeah maybe we should." She agreed before turning a grateful smile to Milton and Whitney. "Thank you so much for everything, we'll be sure to drop by if we're ever passing through here again." She said as I stood too, holding my egg to me.

"Definitely."

"No, no, thank you. Without you, Team Rocket would have stripped us dry of everything we've worked for." Milton said as he rose to his feet too. "Now you kids be sure to take care, those streets down there can get pretty hectic this time of day."

"We will. Goodbye Milton, goodbye…Whitney…" Brock said, going suddenly all goofy. "I shall await the day when our paths will cross again, but until then I shall miss you with every fibre of my soul…ow!" Misty grabbed Brock by the ear and dragged him outside.

"Too bad your path leads _this_ way." She told him as I smacked Ash on the back of the head, waking him up from his nap.

"Wargh! What's going on? Is Team Rocket attacking again?" He asked, kicking out wildly and fell of his chair as I laughed.

"Nope. Just me." I told him as I shouldered my pack.

"But that's worse!" Ash complained behind my back so I turned a sharp look on him.

"What was that genius?" I questioned darkly and he gulped, sweating slightly in fear as he waved his hands and shook his head vigorously.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything." Nodding my head I smiled then walked out of the house, the four of us waving goodbye to Milton, Whitney and Miltank as we returned to Goldenrod City and the Pokémon Centre, which was a little easier to find this time because Misty and I took charge of the map and since we could tell which buildings were shopping centres, it was easy to tell the difference between them and find our way.

We got to the centre pretty exhausted but Ash dropped Totodile, Cyndaquil and Pikachu off with Nurse Joy to have them set back to full health whilst I went over to the video phone and called Professor Oak. "Ah! Ruby, I thought it wouldn't be long before you called. Your Dratini is resting at the moment and I haven't seen an improvement, so it's too early to tell."

"That's okay professor, I actually have something that might help." I told him before pulling out the carton of Moo-Moo milk that Milton had given me.

"I see…Moo-Moo milk, very good stuff. Good for both Pokémon and people, very tasty too." He chuckled. "So you want to give Dratini some and see if it will help improve its health?" I nodded my head. "Very well, I'll send Dratini over to you right away." He said, getting up and walking away but it wasn't long before he returned with Dratini's Pokéball. "Sending to you now." He said, placing it somewhere then began to type on his computer.

The slot beside me suddenly burst into light and the Pokéball appeared, which I picked up the moment it had formed. "It's here." I said to Professor Oak then turned around. "Alright Dratini, come on out! I've got something for you!"

Dratini appeared with a flash of light and instantly I hugged her. "Oh I missed you so much!" I told her as she rubbed her head into me. "Are you feeling okay? How are you?" I asked as I drew back.

"DriiI!" She said with a smile but I could still see she was tired.

"Okay, well I have some special milk for you right here, it's really tasty so go ahead and try some." I smiled, pouring some into a bowl and settled on stroking her long body as she began to drink up. She took a little sip, blinked then beamed at me with a happy call, eyes sparkling before she drained the rest away then came prodding for more. "There's plenty more! I'm just glad you like it." I said with a relieved laugh, pouring out some more before standing up. "We have a winner." I said to the professor who smiled.

"Well I'm glad. Perhaps you'd better keep a hold of Dratini for now, I think it would be for the best. When Pokémon feel down or maybe a little unwell they prefer to be with their trainers for comfort." He told me so I nodded my head.

"That's fine with me, so long as she gets better then that's all that matters." I said, turning another smile down to Dratini.

"Good. Oh and how did your battle go?" Professor Oak asked. "I hear Whitney is a very tough opponent."

"She was very tough, her Miltank is really strong and it was a big challenge, but in the end both Ash and I got our badges. We're three down and five to go!" I said cheerfully as Professor Oak chuckled.

"I'm glad you're both doing so well. Keep up the good work and make sure you always remember to do your best. I have to go now as its dinner time, but we'll talk again soon!" He said with a wave before the call cut out.

Dratini began to rub against my leg, making soft sounds as if she were purring and I smiled lovingly, kneeling down to put the milk and bowl away before picking her up into my arms and carrying her with me over to the others as Brock started to hand out food for us all.

"Hey how's Dratini?" Misty asked as I sat down, Dratini curling up in my lap.

"The milk really picked her up, I think she's going to be just fine. All she needs now is lots of love and plenty of rest." I said, stroking her neck before looking up. "So. What's for dinner?"


	18. Chapter 18

Today we found ourselves in a beautiful national park, filled with trees, wonderful smelling flowers and bright sunshine. A perfect day. We were following the main trail to go straight through on to Ecruteak City when we began to see a massive crowd gathering in front of a brightly decorated stage.

"Hey, let's go check it out!" Ash said and hurried ahead with me close behind. This looks interesting! Is it a concert or something? That's when I heard this guy dressed in a Venomoth costume start to call out to everyone.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! The bug catching contest is about to begin! Come one, come all and sign up at now at the registration tent!" He directed his hand towards a tent with a long line of people.

"Does the winner get some kind of prize?" Ash asked and the mascot nodded his head.

"Sure, the winner gets a Sun Stone and also gets to keep whatever bug Pokémon they catch." He told us but Misty instantly yelped and began to shake.

"Keep one? No thanks." Brock laughed.

"She's not big on bugs." He excused but Ash punched the air with excitement.

"I am!"

"Me too!" I agreed. I haven't seen a Sun Stone before and it would be great to add to my collection.

"You wait, I'm going to win this contest and a brand new Pokémon!" Ash said proudly but I just folded my arms and stuck out my tongue before answering.

"That'll be pretty hard seeing as _I'm_ going to be the one to win." I told him. "My eye is on that Sun Stone for Professor Oak to study, so watch out genius, because you're about to find out how a real pro wins a contest just like this one!" With that I ran off to join the line.

"Oh no you're not! Get back here Ruby!" Ash yelled then chased after me but stopped at the back of the line.

"It looks pretty long." I smirked at him.

"Getting cold feet?"

"No!" He answered instantly. Suddenly we both heard a gasp and someone ran towards us.

"I can't believe it!" Was that Casey? "Hi guys!" Misty and I both smiled brightly upon seeing the enthusiastic and energetic young girl we had met practically on our first day here in Johto. It sure was great to see her again! And her Chikorita. "If I know you two, I bet you're both going to sign up and try to win a new bug Pokémon. So am I!"

"That's great Casey, it's good to see you!" I told her with a laugh before we all looked to see Chikorita and Pikachu greeting one another cheerfully.

"Your Chikorita is looking really strong." Brock noted and Casey turned a proud smile up at us.

"Since the last time we met, we've been on a winning streak, just like my favourite team! The good old Electabuzz!"

"Sounds like you're still a big fan." Misty said and Casey gave a fierce expression.

"Sure am! And I'm going to keep up my winning streak just like my favourite team to win this competition!" Ash jabbed a thumb at himself as he towered over Casey, a competitive look on his face.

"You're not beating me!"

"With that attitude we'll both work harder and I'll look even better when I win! And I'm going to do my best to win this contest for the Electabuzz!" Casey declared as she and Ash faced one another off, so as they started to argue over who was the best I joined the line and gradually made my way up to the front, signing my name and the name of my chosen Pokémon before joining the crowd to stand in front of the stage where Casey and Ash soon joined me.

"Here's the rules for the big bug catching competition. Trainers are only allowed to use one Pokémon each and to catch a Pokémon during the bug contest, you must use one of these special Park Balls." The director explained as he lifted up a special looking Park Ball. "Only one Park Ball is issued to each trainer, catch one bug Pokémon at a time and if you think you have a winner then keep it, at the end of the time the judging committee will decide a winner." He said as everyone was handed a Park Ball. "Now let the bug catching contest begin!"

With my arms secured around my egg I raced off into the trees with the other kids, gradually the thick throng spreading out until I was on my own. "Alright then Eevee, come on out! It's time to win a competition!" I called, letting her out of her Pokéball then giggled as she jumped into the tall grass then began to play.

Shaking my head with a laugh I began to walk ahead. "Come on Eevee, let's go bug hunting." I called over my shoulder so she leaped out of the grass then trotted at my side as we both kept our eyes open for bug Pokémon.

"Vee?" Eevee lifted her head and began to sniff the air. "Vee!" She leaped over to a tree then slammed into it, knocking a Metapod out of its branches. "Eevee Vee!"

"Nice one Eevee! Though I think we could do better than that, we want to win this thing, don't we?" I said to her, chuckling as I picked up the Metapod, giving my warmest of smiles before stroking it gently. "Here, how about I put you back in your tree?" I suggested then reached out and put it back in the tree. "Great find Eevee, let's keep going." I said, marching onwards with Eevee trotting happily at my side once more.

We found several Weedle, Kakuna and a Caterpie, but nothing really outstanding Pokémon, no real contest winners. That was until I saw a Scyther racing towards us. "Wow! Get ready Eevee, this one is a winner for sure!" I told her and she leaped out in front of me as the Scyther stopped, glaring at us. It looked to me as if this Scyther has already had been a bit of a pinch, however it looked pretty determined to fight. "Okay Eevee, let's kick things off with a Quick Attack!"

"Eevee!" She called before darting forwards. Scyther moved quickly, slashing at the air as it darted forwards but Eevee darted out the way, dodging its first Slash attack before powering into it with all her might.

"Yeah! Alright Eevee, now use Swift!" Eevee bounded off a tree then directed her Swift attack at the Scyther, who neatly began slashing away at the stars with Fury Cutter, slicing them in half so I clenched my fist determinedly. "Don't give up Eevee, use Dig!" Smiling with encouragement as Scyther sped at Eevee who dove underground.

The Scyther stopped and started in confusion, looking left and right in search of its opponent until finally Eevee leaped up from the ground, tackling Scyther directly from beneath it with a direct hit. "Alright, Pokéball go!" I called, flinging the Pokéball expertly forwards until it struck the Scyther as it knelt down on the ground, panting for breath.

It was sucked into the Park Ball, glowing bright red before it landed on the ground and Eevee stood poised, still ready to spring back into battle as the Park Ball quivered, the centre flashed red as I held my breath.

Finally it clicked and the Scyther was caught, making me beam with success. "Yeah! You were great Eevee, we just caught a Scyther!" I cheered, picking her up and hugging her with the egg before collecting my new Pokémon. "Come on! Let's get back."

"Vee!" Eevee nodded her head and began to spring ahead but she then stopped, lifting her nose into the air before taking a sniff. "Eevee! Eevee Vee!" She suddenly called with worry, spinning back around to face me with concerned eyes.

"What is it Eevee? Is something wrong?" In answer she shot between my legs and raced away so I quickly spun around and chased after her. "Wait for me!" I chased after her, diving through some bushes before coming up short when I almost ran into her. "Eevee what's wrong?"

"Eevee!" She said, looking upwards so I turned my head to look into the sky.

"Oh! Ash! Hang on Ash!" I yelled up to him as he was carried away with Pikachu in a cage by Team Rocket. "We're coming! Let's go Eevee."

"Vee." She nodded her head and together we sprang forwards, running to get closer but then I heard Casey, Misty and Brock calling as well.

"Ash! Pikachu!"

"Hey guys!" I waved to them and teamed up as we stopped to face Team Rocket.

"Let them go Team Rocket! They're out of your league!" Casey yelled with her Chikorita standing on her shoulder and I took her side, ready to defend her if necessary.

"Hey, it's that pep squad pipsqueak from the Electabuzz losers!" Team Rocket all chorused as they pointed down at Casey, who only grew angrier.

"Who are you calling losers?" She demanded hotly as I lifted my head too.

"Yeah! The Electabuzz never quit! If anyone's the losers then it's you three! Let Ash and Pikachu go then we won't hurt you!" They threw back their heads in laughter, their balloon carrying them higher up into the sky. We have to act fast before they get away.

"Not on your life. We may usually be losers, but today we're going to be winners." Meowth declared right before a giant net swooped down towards us, aiming straight for our Pokémon.

"Get out of there guys!" Ash called but Casey stood her ground.

"No way, you helped us and now we're helping you. Right Chikorita?"

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed with Casey, eyes narrowed in stubborn determination.

"Okay Chikorita, Razor Leaf attack now!" Chikorita leaped up into the air and spun her leaf around, sending several leaf blades shooting out towards the cage but the net dropped down and shielded it, the leaves bouncing off harmlessly.

"Ha-ha! We made the catch!" James cheered as Jessie held her face in shame.

"Now I guess we'll all have to start using baseball terms."

"You've already got two strikes against you kid, and this flaming fast ball is going to end the game." Meowth declared before pressing a button to reveal a giant baseball that dropped down from underneath the neat and ignited with rocket power. This is not good.

"It's a missile!" Misty gasped, staring as it burned brightly but Casey wasn't backing down.

"Chikorita, we may be down to our last strike, but that doesn't mean we can't still win this game." She said to her Chikorita, speaking warmly and with confidence in both herself and her Chikorita. "But to do it, we have to hit a grand slam home run!"

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed, turning to face the Team Rocket missile before beginning to glow. Everyone stared in shock as Chikorita began to grow in size, the leaf buds around its neck extending and the one on its head growing larger too. Wow…

"Bayleef, the leaf Pokémon, the evolved form of Chikorita. Bayleef emits a spicy aroma from the leaves around its neck and its Razor Leaf is extremely powerful." Thank you Dexter. Have to say, Bayleef looks like an awesome Pokémon.

"This is great! You evolved!" Casey said happily, grinning from ear to ear. "You're just the power hitter we need Bayleef!"

"Bay! Bay Bayleef!" Suddenly the missile was launched towards us, soaring through the air but Casey and Bayleef teamed together.

"Okay Bayleef, just keep your eye on the ball and give it your best swing!"

"Bay Bay!" Bayleef nodded its head.

"Razor Leaf attack now!" The leaves shot forwards with awesome power, slicing through the missile and cut through the rope that held the cage so that Ash and Pikachu began to crash towards the ground, yelling as they went. Oh I don't think so!

"Scyther! I choose you! Catch that cage!" I called, twirling around as Eevee danced around my feet, cheering happily as Bayleef's attack made the baseball missile explode. Scyther appeared from within its Pokéball, looking upwards.

"Scyther!" With that it darted with intense speed towards Ash, spreading its blades and caught the cage on its back as I cheered.

"Yeah! Go Scyther! Okay, now use Fury Cutter to let Ash out. I think it's time he took his place on the plate!"

"Scyther!" Scyther slashed at the bars, slicing them to pieces easily and Ash laughed as he and Pikachu ran out of there.

"Thanks Scyther!" He called as he joined our sides. "Pikachu, lets help 'em clinch this game!" Ash said as we all glared up at Team Rocket. "Pikachu, knock them out of the park with a Thunderbolt."

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded his head before springing from Ash's shoulder, flying into the air to curl up before spreading out. "Pika…CHUUUUUUU!" The balloon took a direct hit and in an instant exploded with a bright flash of light, sending Team Rocket out of the match!

"We're blasting off again!" They wailed and I punched the air.

"Yeah! Strike three and they're out! Great work guys, you were all totally awesome!" I cheered, reaching out to rub Scyther's head as it walked over to me and it smiled and closed its eyes at my petting, sighing softly. "Welcome to the team Scyther, it's good to have you with us." I said and Eevee sprang up onto Scyther's shoulder, beaming proudly.

"Vee Vee Eevee!" She squealed before licking Scyther's face, making it blush slightly before lifting its bladed arms up to celebrate with her.

"Scyther! Scyther! Scyther!" Eevee jumped back onto my shoulder and I smiled to Scyther.

"Okay Scyther, time to return for a nice, well deserved rest." I said and returned it to the Pokéball with a smile. "Now let's hurry up before we miss the judging! Come on! Let's hustle everyone!" We all laughed and raced back to the meeting point where I handed over my Scyther to be judged, waiting with the crowd as Ash and Casey stood either side of me.

It surprisingly didn't take very long for them to decide a winner, despite there being so many kids here. The announcer walked on stage and waited until everyone had finished clapping before speaking as loud as his voice would go so people could hear him at the back.

"And now, the judges have reached a final decision. Would Ash Ketchum, Olivia Johnson and Ruby Bates all step up to the stage please!" No way! Ash and I were in the final three!

"Go on guys, get up there!" Casey said with a laugh, pushing us both forwards so we hurried up onto the stage.

"This is great, it's you against me now." Ash said quietly as the announcer gave a dramatic pause before revealing the winner. "No hard feelings when I win, right?" I laughed.

"No way, but the same goes for me."

"And the winner is…Ruby Bates with a spectacular Scyther!" Huh? Wait a minute, I actually won? But…you know for all my talk I didn't actually think I would win. But this is totally awesome! The crowd cheered and I heard Ash laugh before he playfully punched me on the shoulder.

"Way to go Ruby! Guess you did beat me after all, but this'll be the last time, I promise you that!"

"Don't count on it Ketchum, I'm just as stubborn and determined as you are." I said to him with a wide smile as I stepped up onto the first place block and received both my Scyther and the Sun Stone.

"Congratulations miss, use it well." The announcer said to me as he handed them both to me.

"I will sir, don't worry about that." I assured him before lifting my Sun Stone high in the air as everyone cheered, celebrating the awesome feeling of winning something so precious. Well, until I next see Professor Oak I'll keep a hold of it. Right now I think I need a very long night's sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Polishing the egg carefully I hummed a tune under my breath, making sure it was perfectly clean before laying back on the bank to bathe in the sunshine whilst the others did their own thing either with their Pokémon or by themselves. I think Misty was fishing, Brock was cooking some dinner and Ash was training with his Pokémon. I have to say, he's really taken on board a new way of thinking. He's been training hard recently and I think that loss with Whitney may have really helped him to understand the importance of keeping his Pokémon in shape.

"When will you hatch?" I asked the egg softly, interrupting my song to smile down at it. "I really want to meet you." I got no answer but I could still sense its life force within. It was really strong now, so either it was just a really strong Pokémon or it was almost ready to hatch. With a dreamy smile I went back to humming, enjoying the last rays of sunshine.

But then I began to get a sense of trepidation. Slowly I sat up, looking around me towards the trees which rustled innocently. The feeling of someone watching us prickled at the hairs on the back of my neck, making me feel even more nervous as I slowly rose to my feet, arms carefully guarding the egg.

"Is something wrong Ruby?" Misty asked as she looked up from her fishing to notice me standing like a sentry.

"I don't know…I just get the feeling that we're being watched." I answered, glancing around before giving a shaky smile. "Maybe I'm just hungry and my stomach is sending messages to my head." That's when the ground exploded.

Everyone screamed, the blast rocketing through the air and swept around the entire clearing, causing everyone to be covered in dust and splattered by dirt. "Misty!"

"Ruby!" She yelled back and I struggled towards her. "What was that?"

"I don't know, Brock! Ash! Where are you guys?"

"Over here!" Another blast shook the earth, sending me tumbling to the ground and I quickly turned to shield the egg, curling up into a ball to make sure it didn't get hit by any of the blasts. My heart raced at over a thousand miles an hour, kick starting the adrenaline rush as I scrambled to get to my feet and run to the others.

"Alright kids, time to face the music." A dark, mellow voice said from within the smoke just as we reached one another.

"Who's there?" Brock demanded, instantly pulling us three behind him to shield us, keeping his arms spread as a broader protection. "What do you want?" The smoke began to clear as a morbid, spine tingling laugh vibrated the airwaves and a figure dressed in a long black trench coat appeared, shaped to his slim figure.

He had long blood red hair which was pulled back into a ponytail with a gold hook earing on his left ear and a dark hat which was pulled low over his eyes. "What do you think? I want that egg, and you're going to give it to me."

"No I am not!" I yelled back, suddenly furious. "I don't hand over things that belong to me to arrogant jerks like yourself!" I saw one of his eyebrows quirk upwards and he looked up slowly, revealing the darkest coal black eyes I had ever seen.

"Oh really?" He questioned before snapping his fingers. Suddenly we were surrounded by people and Pokémon, the men wearing black jumpsuits and masks on their faces. "Are you so sure about that?" There must be at least twenty of them, how could we even begin to think of taking on such numbers, we're only four! "And just so you know, I have reserves." A powerful looking Gyarados suddenly leaped up from the water, roaring blindly into the light of the setting sun before it turned its blood thirsty eyes on us. "We're not afraid of hurting little kids and their Pokémon to get what I want, so why don't you be a good little girl and hand that egg over!"

"Don't do it Ruby, we can take on these creeps." Ash said to me as Misty shrieked and cowered behind Brock from the Gyarados, who had a scar over its left eye from a previous battle. I didn't see how I had a choice, I couldn't ask my friends or any of my Pokémon to go up against such unfair and overwhelming odds, there were just too many and all of them were final evolutions and obviously high level of experience.

"I…I don't know…" I whispered, suddenly feeling afraid. "I can't ask you to defend me like this, this isn't safe for you…" I glanced back to the man who was waiting patiently, enjoying watching me squirm. "Just who are you?" I asked and he shrugged.

"You may call me Rhodri, if you must. Now, about the egg. Hand it over or I'll just take it." He snapped his fingers and a Venusaur stepped forwards, shooting out its Vine Whip to grab the egg as I gasped, shocked into paralysis.

Suddenly one of my Pokéballs burst open and Charizard roared in anger, grabbing both vines and with a powerful arm swung the Pokémon around as it groaned in surprise as Charizard lifted it off the ground and tossed it aside into several other Pokémon and their trainers.

"Impressive, your Charizard has been well trained." Rhodri said to me with a nod of his head. "Very well, if that is how you wish to do this." He snapped his fingers. "Get them." Charizard whirled around and faced me, growling to me with an intense fire burning in his eyes.

"You want to fight?" I asked and he nodded his head. Seeing the fire in him suddenly lit my own, intensifying all anger and rage I have ever felt before until I couldn't contain it. How dare these creeps try to steal my egg?! I'll show them hell for this! "Alright, Charizard let's use Flamethrower! Hit all you can, everyone else come out and join the fight! We need your help!" I called and Ash tossed his Pokéballs into the air. The only Pokémon I held back was Dratini as she was still in no shape to fight and I didn't want her getting hurt.

"You guys come on out too, it's an emergency!"

"Misty chooses everyone!"

"Let's do this!" Brock agreed and suddenly we were surrounded by our own Pokémon who formed a protective ring around us. Pidgeot screeched in rage then dove down into the battle, my Pokémon all leaping forwards to hold back those who went in to attack them. I kept my eye on them as the others started calling out directions.

"Eevee behind you! Use Dig!" I called and Eevee instantly burrowed underground. "Charizard, fly up into the air before those Donphan charge you!" He rose up and the two Donphan smashed heads together, knocking each other out as Charizard joined Pidgeot and Noctowl in the sky.

It was mad, everything jumbled together and confusing but I fought to keep a steady head, focusing on my Pokémon as the others did the same. "Pidgeot use Quick Attack to get Pikachu out of there!" I yelled, pointing to Pikachu who was surrounded by several ground and rock type Pokémon so she dove down and formed a Twister, spinning with accelerated speed, swooping down and carried Pikachu out of there.

"Thanks Ruby." Ash said to me and I smiled.

"No problem." I told him before looking back over to my Pokémon only to find Eevee being struck by a Nidoking's powerful Mega Punch. "Eevee no!" I cried out and leaped forwards, holding the egg in one arm to catch her in the other but it was too late, she was too exhausted to battle further. "Oh Eevee I'm so sorry." I whispered as I let her return. "Rest now, you battled so hard and I'm proud." I stood up, my anger spiking further. "Bulbasaur! Vine Whip into Razor Leaf once you have that Nidoking up in the air! Scyther, you use Fury Cutter on that Pinsir, don't let it get to Vulpix!" I directed and Bulbasaur instantly grabbed hold of the Nidoking and lifted it up, whipping it several times before striking it down with the Razor Leaf, however Nidoking landed on its feet and used Earthquake.

Suddenly the ground began to crack up, trembling and breaking as all the Pokémon around were affected by the powerful attack. "No!" Most of our Pokémon were knocked out by this single hit, all save for those in the air and Pikachu who was still on Pidgeot's back, shooting Thunderbolts left right and centre.

"Give up little girl!" Rhodri called once silence had ensued. "Fighting is pointless." Now with most of our Pokémon out of the battle we were once again greatly outnumbered. Charizard landed in front of me, glaring at the Nidoking but suddenly the Gyarados struck without even warning. It gathered a Hyper Beam together and shot it towards Charizard.

"Charizard look…!" He was hit before I could even warn him. Charizard roared as he was flung backwards, crashing into the ground where he lay, unable to move after such a powerful attack. "Charizard!" I made to run to him but Brock held me back.

"Don't get too close to them, you'll just be setting yourself up for capture." He said to me so I lifted Chariazrd's Pokéball instead.

"Charizard return!" Blinking back tears I looked over to Rhodri who began to walk forwards.

"I told you, it's fruitless." He said to me calmly, his sickening tone making me want to vomit. "Now. Hand it over." I took a step back, hugging the egg to me and shaking my head so he sighed. "Very well. You leave me no other choice, my dear. Gyarados, Hyper Beam."

It happened so fast that I barely registered it happening. Gyarados turned on us and before any of us could blink, was shooting its attack at us. Somehow we managed to leap aside, avoiding direct hit but I crashed to the ground and the egg rolled out of my arms as time slowed down and a shrill, piercing sound rang in my ears.

My vision throbbed and I struggled to focus, everything shifting out of shape as someone bent down and picked up an object, shifting in and out of comprehension. I tried to push myself up but my elbows gave out beneath me, making me groan in pain as I felt everything throb and ache. "Such a pity…" I heard someone whisper in my ear. "Such…tness to be…asted. Good bye, Ruby."

I tried reaching out to take the egg back, tears streaming down my face but all I heard was one last, blood chilling laugh before everything went black and silent. My mind was so dead to the world that when I next awoke, I was momentarily confused as to who I was and what I was doing.

Then it all came flooding back to me in a series of images flickering before my eyes until I cried out and clenched my eyes shut. "You're awake!" Ash sighed with relief. "We were beginning to really worry Ruby, you've been unconscious for an entire day."

"A whole day?" I repeated, shaking my head as I tried to sit up but Brock rested a gentle hand against my shoulder.

"Take it easy, you were badly hit by that Hyper Beam and it's going to take some time before you fully recover." I shook my head still, trying to sit up again.

"No, I have to go after the egg. It needs me."

"Ruby you're in no shape to stand, let alone walk or go egg searching. You have to think about yourself too you know." Misty said to me, holding Togepi in her arms but even Togepi looked sad. Under my quilts I tried to find my belt but there were no Pokéballs, all of them were gone.

"My Pokémon?" I questioned so Brock reached out and handed me a single Pokéball.

"Dratini is okay seeing as it didn't battle, however your other Pokémon aren't in such great shape. They're all in Nurse Joy's care for the time being but she's confident they'll all make a full recovery. They just need rest and time to recover from the loss." He informed me.

"I want to see them." And then there was no stopping me. I got out of bed, tied on my neckerchief and slipped my hat on my head whilst always wearing the same expression, one of defeat. With Ash's help he led me over to the unit where my Pokémon were being treated and when I saw them, I broke down.

I cried for all I was worth, ashamed to have let my Pokémon reach such critical condition yet I was so proud of them for battling so bravely and facing such impossible odds. Ash let me sob on the floor, seeing as he didn't know what else to do until Pikachu leaped down from his shoulder and faced me.

"Pika…" He said gently and I sniffed, looking up at him with watery eyes. "Pikachu, Pika Pika." Pikachu said to me, patting my cheek then wiped away my tears. "Pika Pi, Pika Pika!" He began to lift his arms and made several gestures as he spoke, his expressions also helping me to understand what he was saying.

"Oh Pikachu, I couldn't. I couldn't ask you to fight like that again." I said to him, continuing to cry quietly. "You were all so brave and strong but we were still no match against those guys, whoever they were. If anything ever happened to any of you then I would be heartbroken." In answer Pikachu leaped into my arms and nuzzled into me, offering me comfort as Ash and Misty knelt at my side, placing their hands on my back.

"It's okay Ruby, we'll think of something." Ash told me and I nodded my head, sucking in a deep breath before going over to my Pokémon each in turn, staying with them a few minutes to stroke their heads and kiss their faces before finally I turned around to face the others.

"Let's get something to eat, then we'll be able to think a little more clearly." I suggested and the others all nodded their heads in agreement, smiling gently to me as I followed them out last. I let them lead the way, however Pikachu stayed with me as I began to think quickly.

I needed to go after them but I can't take any of my Pokémon or my friends, it's just too dangerous. Maybe if I could connect with the egg again then I would be able to find it, however if they're too far away then I'll need to find a way of reaching them without letting anyone else know.

"Pika?"

"I'm fine Pikachu, just thinking." I said to him. We didn't speak over the meal, in fact we all agreed that what we all needed was a long sleep before we could make our next move. Apparently Officer Jenny had already been informed and was out looking for the gang as we spoke, however I doubted they would have much luck.

I lay there deep into the night, thinking about my Pokémon and the battle, wondering if there was ever even the slightest of chances that we would have won. Somehow I doubted it, seeing as those guys had obviously been trained for this sort of thing.

My mind slowly making a decision, I got out of bed and walked over to the desk, picking up some stationary to write a letter to my friends, telling them exactly where I was headed and that I didn't want them to follow in case I put them in further danger.

Once it was done I left it on the desk for them to find, quietly got dressed and packed my things then slipped out the door. I had also left a note to ask Nurse Joy to hold onto my Pokémon until I came back for them, and if I didn't then to send them back over to Professor Oak where they would be safe and well looked after.

Now with everything deadly quiet, I slipped out into the night. It was chilly but I quickly brushed it off, taking deep breaths as I walked down the road then stopped, closing my eyes and cleared my thoughts.

The result was almost instantaneous. I felt my mind soar towards a distant mountain, covered in snow yet there was an entrance in one of the caves which led to a secret hideout, where I felt the power of the egg beating strong, calling out to me. North.

Sighing I opened my eyes and set off in that direction. The mountain would take several days to get to, however I was sure that if I caught a bird Pokémon along the way I'd be able to get there within the night. I had been walking for about ten minutes when someone called behind me.

"Pika! Pika Pi!"

"Pikachu?" I turned around in surprise to see the little yellow Pokémon racing after me, panting for breath.

"Pika Pikachu. Pika Pika!" I knelt down and faced Pikachu with a sad smile.

"I have to try Pikachu, I can't wait for my Pokémon to get better and I can't ask them to go through what they did again. It's not fair and they'll need time before they're able to battle again. However that egg needs me right now, so I'm going to go get it back.

"Pi." Pikachu nodded his head then stood up, waving his arms before flexing them. "Pikachu!" Huh? He wants to come with me?

"But Pikachu, you're still recovering too and I can't take you away from Ash, he'll get so worried about you and if anything happened to you then I'll never forgive myself, and neither will Ash. You mean too much to him." I said, lifting Pikachu up to hug him. "I know you're just trying to be a good friend and I thank you so much for it, but this is something I have to do alone."

"Says who?" I froze in place, eyes shooting wide open as sparks crackled on Pikachu's cheeks as he twisted out of my grip and jumped onto my shoulder, glaring at the person who had spoken from the shadows.

"Pika!"

"Hey Rubes, how's it going?" Gary asked as he stepped into the moonlight, arms casually folded as he watched me. "You're not seriously thinking of going alone, are you?" I continued to just stare at him. "I happened to be in the neighbourhood when I saw you guys being rushed into the Pokémon Centre. Ash filled me in on what happened." He explained with a shrug as he stepped a little closer. "Now tell me you aren't planning on going after those guys alone, are you?"

"I have to." I answered simply. "I nearly got my friends killed yesterday and I'm not going to put them through that risk again." I turned my head away, struggling not to burst into tears again.

"But you don't have any Pokémon. How do you expect to get your egg back without some firepower?" Good question. And for it, I have an excellent answer.

"I'll use my own firepower." I told him simply, giving him a glare as he sighed.

"Please tell me you're not seriously thinking what I think you're thinking." I arched my eyebrow.

"You're able to think?" He shot me a dark look.

"Stick to the subject! You can't go in there without any sort of backup, escape plan or even alone! You're just one kid, Ruby, and it's too dangerous for you to handle on your own."

"Pikachu." Pikachu nodded his head in agreement. "Pika Pika!" I sighed, shaking my head.

"I don't have any other choice." Gary exhaled, calming himself down before walking over to me and resting a hand on my shoulder.

"Sure you do. I'll come with you Ruby, I'll help keep you safe." I stared up at Gary, unsure of how to answer.

"You'd…you'd do that for me?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Sure. It sounds like a blast. Besides, I have something that's much better than walking." He smirked before tossing a Pokéball up into the air. "Come on out buddy, I have an old friend of yours who wants to see ya!" Suddenly the space in front of me was filled by massive jaws and piercing yellow eyes, a prehistoric screech making the trees shudder in their sleep.

"Aerodactyl!" I beamed, leaping forwards and flinging my arms around Aeroodactyl's neck, laughing with joy. "It's so great to see you! You look awesome buddy, Gary's obviously been doing a great job raising and training you." Aerodactyl beamed happily, rubbing his nose into my back as I laughed then pulled back.

"So Rubes, what do you say?" Gary asked as he climbed up then offered me a hand. Suddenly the bushes rustled and I turned around to see a round shape walk out from within them, carrying what looked like a microphone in one hand. No…way…

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff beamed up at us and took a large breath to sing but I quickly covered its mouth.

"No Jigglypuff! Just wait a second." I pleaded and she glared at me.

"Puff!" Her body inflated angrily so I took my hand away and smiled apologetically.

"You couldn't have turned up at a more perfect time." I told her. "Listen, there's a group of bad guys who stole my Pokémon egg and we're going to get it back, but if you could help us then I think we'll be able to beat them all without even needing to try." I said to her and she listened curiously. "If we can get their attention, would you sing to them and make them all fall asleep for us? That way we could steal back the egg and no one would have to get hurt."

"Jiggly…" She mused to herself, thinking it over diplomatically.

"And as a reward, I'll set up a concert just for you so you can sing to everyone at the Pokémon Centre, and I even have a way to keep them awake to hear your beautiful singing." Instantly her eyes sparkled.

"Jigglypuff Puff!" She squealed then leaped into my arms, nodding her head and I giggled.

"Alright then!" I looked at Gary's outstretched hand for a moment, considering my option to ignore it and just climb up myself but then Pikachu leaped up with a bright cry onto Gary's shoulder, turning a broad smile towards me so I smiled and nodded my head.

"Let's go." I placed my hand in Gary's and let him pull me up behind him, settling Jigglypuff in front of me. I was surprised at how warm his hand was and how soft his skin felt, though I quickly shoved the thought aside and hid my blush as Pikachu jumped back onto my shoulder.

"Hang on tight, we like to go fast." Gary warned me but I frowned.

"Hang onto what?" I demanded but then his hands reached back, gripped my own and pulled them around his waist.

"Me you idiot. Let's go Aerodactyl!" Aerodactyl moved so fast that I didn't even have time to blush in embarrassment. We shot into the air and I was almost ripped off the back but I held on tighter, Pikachu keeping himself anchored down as we soared up into the air but Jigglypuff just kicked her feet and laughed with excitement, enjoying every second of the ride.

"Head north! The egg is up in the mountains." Gary didn't question me, merely nodded his head and steered Areodactyl in the direction I had called, using the stars to navigate which I was pretty impressed with. I think I could do with learning how to navigate by the stars, it'll be useful seeing as Ash always gets us lost.

We soared through the skies with speed, cutting through the air and travelling over the ground so fast it turned into a dark indistinguishable river. We flew straight for around twenty minutes until I suddenly felt my mind shift and connect with the egg's.

It was moving, surrounded in darkness as the bumpy road jostled everything within the truck. They were moving out and were already on the road heading towards the nearest port to get out of Johto. I saw the escort, a total of five trucks and the road they were heading down. "Go that way." I pointed, my voice dull and unfocused on what was going on around me. "They're moving off the mountain and to port. We have to hurry."

"You got it Rubes. Come on Areodactyl, show us what you've got." Aerodactyl somehow managed to find even more speed, slicing through the clouds with a cry before diving down a way so that we could see where we were going.

It didn't take long for us to find the convoy, using my hand as a needle point to guide us as I continued to remain locked onto the egg's location until finally we were practically on top of them. "Puff?" Jigglypuff questioned, peering down before squeaking and hiding into me.

"It's okay, I won't let you fall Jigglypuff. I've got a good hold on you. Right Pikachu?" I questioned and Pikachu nodded his head.

"Pika!" Jigglypuff took a deep breath then nodded her head, looking determinedly down at the ground as Aerodactyl began to dive. "Pikachuuuuu!" Pikachu yelled as we all leaned backwards, aiming for the head of the line of trucks.

"Alright Aerodactly, let's get their attention with Hyper Beam and Ice Beam, at your own leisure." Gary said and Aerodactyl instantly set to work. He blasted the road in front of the first truck, making it screech to a halt before freezing over the last, gliding over the top to blast them again as men began to leap out of their stations and try to find the source.

"Now Jigglypuff!" I called and she leaped off Aerodactyl to land on one of the trucks, clearing her throat before beginning to sing. "Hurry and land Gary, we don't want to crash!"

"You got it." Aerodactyl came in for a land and instantly we all covered our ears, distracting ourselves from Jigglypuff's admittedly beautiful singing as everyone in the convoy began to groan and drop to sleep, their Pokémon all following suit.

Jigglypuff stopped singing at the end of her song, looking around with a blink. "Puff?" Seeing that everyone was asleep she rolled her eyes and shook he head in irritation before springing off the truck and whipped out her pen, beginning to draw on everyone's faces.

"Nice work Jigglypuff, you were amazing." I told her with a smile. "Now if anyone stirs, you make sure to sing that beautiful lullaby to them okay?"

"Puff." She nodded her head proudly, blushing slightly at my compliment before continuing her work to draw on everyone's face. I ran past each truck until I stopped at the third, feeling the source of the connection coming from within so I rolled up the back and jumped in, shining my torch to find the egg sitting in a contraption that locked it in place, however I fiddled with the buttons until it finally sprung back open.

"I'm here now." I said softly, lifting the egg up and smiled. "I've got you." I felt a wave of relief and joy wash over me from both ends of the connection as I turned and jumped back out of the truck, heading over to Gary with Pikachu on my shoulder.

"You got it?"

"Yeah, right here." I said, wrapping the egg up in my jacket then zipped it up to keep it warm.

"Okay then, let's get out of…" Suddenly everyone began to stir.

"Jigglypuff!" I called quickly but before she could sing, someone clapped their hand over her mouth and lifted her up.

"Quiet you little pipsqueak!" The guys snarled and I instantly made to charge forwards.

"You let Jigglypuff go you turnip nosed jerk!" I yelled and with a clench of my fists, rammed it into his face with all my might. He yelled aloud and let go of Jigglypuff who I caught in my arms, holding her gently before drawing back. "It's alright, just start to Sing now!"

"Oh I don't think so. Houndoom, if Jigglypuff starts to Sing, use Roar to counteract." Rhodri said as he stood up, pen marked all over his face though he didn't realise. I began to snicker, Gary unable to hide his laughter either as we both began to crack up. "What? What do you runts find so amusing?!" He demanded until one of his little sidekicks coughed.

"Uh…boss? You got a little something on your face." Rhodri instantly began to rub at his face, smudging it until most it was cleared away though there were still several marks left behind. I had to hold my breath to keep from laughing but then all fun out of the situation was taken away when Pikachu was grabbed off my shoulder and Gary was restrained, Aerodactyl being surrounded by Houndoom though the prehistoric Pokémon screeched in anger and made to attack.

"No Aerodactyl! Just sit tight for a moment." Gary ordered, glaring over to Rhodri as I too was surrounded by Pokémon, each one glaring as Jigglypuff gulped then hid her face in my neck so I held on a little tighter.

"You're very brave, you little runt, but now you've tested my patience to the limit. I'll be taking back that egg and dealing with you and your boyfriend very severely." Rhodri told me, glowering down with rage. "Boys, teach that kid a lesson." One grunt approached Gary, cracking his knuckles and pounded his fist into his palm, ready to pummel Gary but I was _not_ going to let that happen. Not this time.

Fresh determination washed over me and I growled, feeling energy rise up from within and burst free as I yelled, closing my eyes tightly shut and I felt the egg vibrate against me. Large pulses of blue light shot out from me and stretched outward as all my emotions towered over one another. Fear, hope, anger, hate, care, joy, shame, confidence, pride and love. I felt them all burst out of me until I suddenly felt empty.

And with the emptiness, I began to see. With each burst of light I saw the lights around everything they touched, both people and Pokémon. Most were dark and disgusting but there were a few bright stars among all the black, including Pikachu's electric yellow and gold aura or Gary's bronze and orange. It was amazing, yet also slightly terrifying. With a deep breath I began to send out an emotion of calmness, taking away all the badness that surrounded me and slowly, everyone began to step back from us, letting Gary go and the Pokémon left Aerodactyl to return to their trainers.

I don't know how I was doing it, all I knew was that it was working. Finally the last pulse disappeared and I opened my eyes only to collapse to the ground, shivering from the cold as everyone I had manipulated stared off into the distance in a daze. "Ruby!" Gary instantly raced over to my side as Jigglypuff gently shook my arm, trying to wake me up.

"Jiggly? Jigglypuff…" She whined with worry as Gary reached me, lifting me up into a sitting position then let me rest against him in his arms.

"Ruby, can you hear me?"

"Hmm…" I stirred slightly, beginning to gain back my own senses.

"Pika!" Pikachu leaped onto me, carefully avoiding the egg and peered closely at me. "Pika?" Suddenly I heard laughter and it made me shudder so Gary drew me closer protectively, glaring up at Rhodri as he finally snapped into sense.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise. We have an aura user." Aura user? What is that? "My client will be thrilled to hear of this. Perhaps you and your egg will stay together for a little while longer."

"If you want Ruby then you'll have to get through me first." Gary said bravely as both Pokémon jumped in front of me.

"Pika!"

"Puff." Jigglypuff agreed, glaring as she inflated her body to appear more intimidating though Rhodri only snorted.

"Very well. Everyone step back, I shall deal with these pests. Gyarados! Teach these vermin a lesson they shall never forget." Gyarados appeared with a roar, glaring as it struck the ground with its tail and made the trees quake in fear as it now focused on us.

"Aerodactyl! Use Hyper Beam!" But Aerodactyl didn't answer. "Huh?" Gary looked around to find Aerodactyl still in a trance. "Aerodactyl, snap out of it!" Suddenly I felt my only Pokéball burst open and Dratini appeared, chiming to announce her arrival and that brought me a little more back to the land of the living.

"Dratini no…you're still ill." I said to her, trying to reach out but she moved and stood between Pikachu and Jigglypuff, sending them a quick order and they both nodded their heads before leaping back, letting her face Gyarados alone.

Rhodri threw back his head and laughed, snorting and chortling as my tiny little Dratini faced the giant Gyarados, who also looked slightly insulted at the lack of challenge. "You're going to battle my mighty Gyarados with that little… _worm_? Oh this is too beautiful, please, please just stop." He laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. Hang on, did he…did he just call my Dratini a worm? Now that is unacceptable!

Slowly I began to stand, making Rhodri blink as Gary helped me find my balance, though I gently pushed him away as I stood determinedly on my own two feet. Hey if Dratini was willing to battle in her condition then so am I.

"Don't insult my Dratini." I told him in the darkest voice I had ever spoken in, making Rhodri blink and stutter slightly, unsure of how to answer. Dratini lifted her head and called up to the stars before beginning to shine brightly. I gasped, staring as she began to grow in length, her neck arching gracefully as her ears became more like sweeping wings and a round orb settled at the base of her throat. "Dratini…you're evolving?" I whispered in shock as Pikachu jumped up to my shoulder and stared in awe.

"Pika…." I pulled out Dexter but didn't pull my gaze away from my evolving Pokémon as Dexter spoke to me.

"Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon. Dragonair has the ability to manipulate the elements as it wishes." Finally Dragonair appeared, lifting her head and called out in a beautifully mysterious voice before lowering her head, aiming her now pointed horn towards Gyarados who recoiled slightly. There were two extra orbs at the end of Dragonair's tail, her tail tip trailing over the ground elegantly as she waited for me to give her an attack.

"That…is…awesome…" I breathed. So that's why Dratini has been tired recently. She wasn't ill, she was just preparing to evolve by storing up all her energy! I really have my own Dragonair! "Alright Dragonair, let's show these jerks just how tough we are. Use Aqua Tail!"

Dragonair lifted up into the air, her body glowing around the edges as she began to fly and I laughed, watching as she whipped out her tail and a jet of water struck Gyarados in the face, making him flinch backwards.

"Don't be a wimp, get that Dragonair, use Dragon Tail!" Rhodri yelled in rage, his face turning as red as his hair.

"Dodge it then use Ice Beam!" I countered, both Pikachu and Jigglypuff cheering as we all watched the battle. Dragonair elegantly wound her way around Gyarados's tail as it struck out at her, avoiding it completely then soared up its back with an Ice Beam attack, causing it to shudder and crash to the ground, taking a lot of damage from the hit. "Nice hit Dragonair, now let's use our own Dragon Tail!" Dragonair spiralled around in the air, her voice singing out as she gathered power in her tail.

Gyarados managed to get up at Rhodri's yelling, however the moment Dragonair struck it on the head with Dragon Tail, it roared with eyes clenched tightly shut before smashing into three of the trucks, crushing them into scrap metal as Dragonair gracefully descended and landed before me.

"It's over Rhodri, you're not going to beat me a second time and you are not getting your hands on this egg." I told him and Pikachu nodded his head.

"Pi!" Rhodri smirked, taking off his hat to run his hands through his hair after he had returned Gyarados to its Pokéball. He gave a short, quiet laugh under his breath, fixing his eyes on me.

"You're something special. That boy over there is lucky to have you." I folded my arms and glared.

"He is _not_ my boyfriend." I told him but Rhodri merely waved his hand.

"Regardless, your Dragonair may be newly evolved, but it can't handle all our Pokémon at once." With that he snapped his fingers. Suddenly we had Pokémon bearing down on us again, snarling and growling but Dragonair looked fierce as she faced them all.

The orb at her throat began to glow and she lifted herself up, continuing to glare until she slammed her tail on the ground and a pulse of water burst out in a large wave, slamming against everyone and everything but Dragonair formed a protective barrier around us as Jigglypuff hugged my leg and Pikachu hid in my neck. "Ruby, that's Water Pulse. It can hit multiple targets at once." Gary told me as the barrier disappeared and I looked around to see everything had been knocked down, including the trucks that hadn't been totalled by Gyarados. "We have to get out of here now before they get back up."

"One last thing." I said with a glare before pointing my finger out to Rhodri as the rain began to fall. "Pikachu, use Thunder!" Pikachu raced up my arm and with a leap, jumped into the air.

"Pika…CHUUUUU!" The road was filled with lightning as Dragonair spiralled upwards, her orb glowing as the clouds gathered and lightning flashed overhead, striking down at one of the trucks and I couldn't help but smirk. This has to be one of the greatest battles ever.

Rhodri got a full taste of Pikachu's power and so did his men, however once everything had ended, I walked over to Rhodri's twitching body. "Don't mess with Ruby Bates. She takes things personally." I told him before turning to Dragonair and flung my arm around her, one hand curled under the egg to keep it supported though I hugged my newly evolved Pokémon for all I was worth.

"You saved us! You absolutely dazzling Pokémon! I love you so much Dragonair!" She chimed happily at me before lifting me up with her tail and placed me on her back and rose up into the air.

"Puff! Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff cried and I smiled, leaning down to quickly pick her up too as Pikachu jumped back onto my shoulder.

"We didn't forget you Jigglypuff, you're a hero too." She nodded her head proudly and I looked up when I heard a flap of wings to see Gary already on Aerodactyl, who dropped down by Rhodri and gripped onto both arms.

"Let's get this one back to Officer Jenny. I don't know about you but I think she'll be all too happy to clap some cuffs on this guy." He said and I smiled with a nod of my head as I rode Dragonair as she lifted up higher into the sky.

"I'll race you."


	20. Chapter 20

When we got back it was still dark, however the sun was beginning to rise so I set to work. Gary flew straight over to Officer Jenny to hand Rhodri over but I set up a stage in front of the Pokémon Centre where the rising sun would be used as the perfect backdrop as Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Dragonair all took a nap.

Once it was ready I stepped back and admired my handiwork. Just then the doors slid open and the gang came running out with Nurse Joy and all of my Pokémon. "Ruby! You're still here!" Misty cried with relief, rushing over to me and gave me a big hug. "We found you're letter, you can't go Ruby! We want to help you get the egg back." That's when she noticed Dragonair. "Wait…you mean?"

"Yeah, I kind of already went." I admitted as Ash ran over to Pikachu.

"Pikachu! I was so worried! I woke up and you weren't there, are you okay buddy?" He asked and Pikachu sprang into his arms.

"Pika Pi! Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu explained as Ash laughed and hugged his old friend.

"Hey, it's Jigglypuff!" Brock noted as Jigglypuff continued to snooze against Dragonair who was being admired and fussed over by Misty.

"Oh it's so beautiful! Look at its ears and its eyes…oh I want one!" She squealed, making me laugh as she hugged Dragonair, who now towered over all of us. Eevee sprang over to Dragonair to greet her and they nuzzled noses as I greeted the others, who were all very glad to see me back safe and sound.

Scyther placed his bladed arms around me and rubbed his head into mine, making me laugh as Charizard snorted and tried to pull him off but I merely stepped out from the two of them and hugged them both. "It's alright you two, you're both glad to see me so let's all juts be friends. Okay?" Charizard nodded his head before ducking down and licking my face with his large tongue, making me squeal in mock disgust.

"Hey Ruby, you got the egg back!" Brock said, picking it up but the moment he took it out of Jigglypuff's arms she woke up and inflated her body.

"Puff!" She growled then began to Double Slap Brock across the face.

"Woah there Jigglypuff, it's alright." I said, quickly pulling her off and held her in my arms as she cooled down. "Brock's just trying to be helpful." I chuckled, seeing Brock collapsed on the ground in shock from the attack. "And yeah. You see after I left, Pikachu followed me and nothing I could do or say would have changed his mind about coming with me, so I was all set to just keep going when Gary appeared."

"I thought he must have." Misty said. "You know he visited you when you were unconscious and stayed through the night?" I blinked in surprise.

"No I…I didn't know that." Misty smirked knowingly so I ignored it and moved on quickly. "Anyway we flew on Aerodactyl after the thieves whilst I used my connection thing to follow after them. Aerodactyl got them all in a panic so then Jigglypuff sang them to sleep and then it just got way trickier after that…" I explained everything that happened, not missing out a single detail as Nurse Joy ran a quick check over Dragonair.

"My, you certainly know how to get yourselves into trouble." She said before smiling. "But your Dragonair seems to be in perfect health so I wouldn't worry about a thing. With that thief now behind bars, everything should be a lot safer around here." I nodded my head until I felt Ash tap my shoulder.

"Uh Ruby? What's with the stage?" He asked so I smiled.

"Wait and see. Let me just sort out some last minute details and then I'll show you. Come on all of you! Let's huddle." I said, jumping up onto my stage where all my Pokémon followed. I debriefed them over what was going on and Pikachu listened as well, wanting to help so one we were all sorted, I politely asked the gang to just make themselves comfortable whilst I got ready.

I took off my hat and jacket then pulled on a soft pink robe, tying it together then let my hair flow loose over my shoulders, though I was surprised by how long it was. Anyway, once I was ready I stepped up onto the stage with Jigglypuff with a humble expression, bowing with her before I sat down.

"Oh no, is Jigglypuff going to sing?" Ash whispered non too discreetly and Jigglypuff inflated her body, glaring at him but I merely cleared my throat then sat down, signalling she should start singing. Jigglypuff smiled serenely then began to sing into her microphone, her sweet voice ringing out as the sun began to rise, its rim just beginning to peak over the distant mountains and treetops.

I watched as everyone began to sway, growing drowsy by Jigglypuff's voice so I lifted my flute then began to play in tune with Jigglypuff. Suddenly everyone was wide awake, blinking as Jigglypuff continued, her voice melting perfectly with the mellower tune of my flute.

Scyther stepped onto the stage and sat between us, the three of us spaced out on the stage then began to tap a triangle with one bladed arm, the stand holding it upright so that he could gently scratch the wood of the stage, blending the two together in time with the beat as Jigglypuff began to reach the point no one ever heard.

Her voice sailed off into a mysterious and beautiful aria, by which point Pidgeot lifted out the large panpipe stand I had brought out from the music cupboard in the Pokémon Centre and began to use her Gust to add an extra sound of mystery to our song.

Dragonair began to sing as well, her voice harmonising with Jigglypuff's song and Pikachu jumped in too, tapping on a xylophone in the melody I had taught him, repeating it over and over again. Eevee beamed at her place by the stage side, watching as the sun rose higher then looked to me, waiting for my nod as Bulbasaur stood opposite her.

Charizard began to beat a large drum, adding a deep and throaty bass to Jigglypuff's lullaby as everyone stared in awe, smiling brightly as the sun began to rise. As it peaked and golden light flushed around us, I nodded my head and Eevee let a Swift attack shoot up into the air which Bulbasaur hit with a Razor Leaf, slicing them all into tiny sparkles as Jigglypuff drew out her last note along with me, the light hitting the sparkles as they danced around us, falling dreamily onto the stage until finally, Jigglypuff was finished singing.

Everyone began to clap and people had even stuck their heads out their windows when they had awoken to the music and Jigglypuff gasped, staring around in awe as she received her audience, cheering and clapping.

"Go on." I said to her and she turned to me, tears in her eyes. "Take a bow Jigglypuff, your audience is waiting."

"Puff?" She whispered before beaming happily. "Jigglypuff!" She turned and swept a graceful bow as my Pokémon all cheered too, crowding around me as Misty took several photos, making me smile and blush further until I noticed someone standing in the shadows close to the Pokémon Centre. Gary stepped out into the light and my eyes fixed on his.

He was smirking slightly but in a nice way, watching me as I bit my lip slightly, unsure of what to do. Finally he nodded his head then walked away, heading down the road and away from the Pokémon Centre. Everyone surrounded us, congratulating our wonderful performance but I shrugged out of my robe and slipped away, racing after Gary before he get away, however Eevee noticed me escaping and followed suit.

"Gary wait!" I called after him, running as fast as I could until I saw him. He'd already let his Eevee out of his Pokéball to walk with him but Gary stopped and turned around to face me. I didn't think, I just went for it. I leaped off the ground and flung my arms around Gary, holding him tight as he stumbled a step backwards but then held his ground.

"I told you I'm irresistible." He said to me jokingly so I drew back and rolled my eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself. That was just to say thanks for everything." I told him, looking over to where Eevee was trying to get Gary's Eevee's attention but he simply jumped out the way each time she sprang at him, glaring at her but she only saw it as a game and continued to chase him. "Listen…I know you're busy and training really hard, but…" I began, trying to find the right words. "But I would like to hear from you every so often, just to know that you're doing okay and I think your grandpa would too. He misses you and worries about you. Maybe you should call him once in a while."

"Yeah…I just get so lost in my training that I forget." He admitted, looking down. "Don't worry, I'll try my best to call him more often. And maybe once in a while write you an email just to make sure you're still alive." I rolled my eyes but couldn't hold back my little smile as I fiddled with my bracelet. Wait, the charm!

"This is for you." I said, taking off the Squirtle charm and handing it to Gary who looked a little surprise. "For all the souvenirs you didn't want." I explained. "I only collect charms of Pokémon I have, so I don't need that one." I justified so he smirked, turning it over before keeping it in his clenched fist.

"Thanks. I'll look after it for you." He said before turning to his Eevee. "Come on Eevee, it's time we hit the road." My Eevee sprang back to my side and together we watched them walk away, Gary giving his usual flick of the hand in farewell until finally, he was out of sight.

At the same time Eevee and I sighed then turned around to head back to the Pokémon Centre for some breakfast and sleep in whichever order it came. The others had already put all the instruments away and were helping to put down the stage, however the moment Jigglypuff saw me she smiled brightly and ran forwards.

"Puff! Jigglypuff Puff!" She leaped into my arms and I smiled, hugging her securely before looking into her large, round eyes. "Jiggly…Jigglypuff." She said a little sadly so I frowned.

"What's the matter Jigglypuff? Are you sad it's over?" I asked but she shook her head. She leaped out of my arms then bounced around behind me, leaping up and dove into my bag, rooting around before she pulled out a spare Pokéball which she presented to me then patted her chest.

"Jigglypuff!"

"You want to come with me?" I asked and she nodded her head.

"Jigglypuff!" She nodded her head eagerly and everyone chuckled.

"It looks like Jigglypuff really likes you Ruby. Maybe you should go for it." Brock said, holding the egg for me as they all watched us.

"Yes of course but…I already have six Pokémon with me, I can't carry anymore." I told them but then Nurse Joy spoke up.

"I received a call from Professor Oak only a few minutes ago. He wanted me to ask about maybe sending back your Dragonair, though of course he was expecting it to be a Dratini. He wants to continue his research and also asked if you would be willing to part with your Eevee for a little while as well." Nurse Joy informed me so I turned around to look at the two Pokémon in question.

"What do you think guys? Would you like to go stay with the professor for a little holiday?" I asked and they both nodded their heads.

"Eevee Vee!"

"Draaaaa…" Dragonair agreed, reaching down then gently rubbed her head into me as Eevee leaped up into my arms. I hugged them both before nodding my head, taking a deep breath to keep myself from cracking up.

"Alright then. I'll send you both over and you can play all day in the lake. Does that sound good?" I asked and they nodded their heads again. So I returned everyone to their Pokéballs, carefully took the egg from Brock then walked with Jigglypuff at my side to call the professor.

"Ah Ruby, I was hoping Nurse Joy had already spoken to you about my little request." I smiled and nodded my head.

"Yep, I'm ready to send them over right away. Only there's one tiny little problem." I revealed and the professor frowned.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Well…Dratini sort of evolved and she's now a Dragonair." I told him and he started, almost falling out of his chair in shock.

"A-a Dragonair? Really? Well this is just amazing! Congratulations Ruby, I'm told it's very hard to raise a Pokémon such as a Dratini into a Dragonair and then a Dragonair into a Dragonite, you've done remarkably well!" I smiled then placed the first Pokéball into the holder.

"Sending you Dragonair now." I told him and once he had received her, sent Eevee also.

"Both Pokémon are here safely. Good luck Ruby and take care!" I nodded my head before he cut the call then turned around to Jigglypuff.

"Well my cute little fluffball, are you ready to join me?" I asked and Jigglypuff nodded her head.

"Puff!" I tapped her gently with the Pokéball and in she went, the ball clicking instantly to tell me Jigglypuff had been caught.

"Alright!" I cheered, spinning around elegantly before leaping up into the air with the egg securely in my grip. "I just got a new Pokémon, and it's a Jigglypuff!" Everyone laughed until Brock suggested I go get some rest so I heartily agreed. I went up to bed and crashed out with the egg in my arms, keeping it warm with me as I drifted off into sleep, however I couldn't get what Rhodri had said out of my mind.

Aura user.


	21. Chapter 21

Still on our way to Ectruteak City we stopped at a Pokémon Centre and strangely, the first thing Brock did was go to a computer and went through all of his emails, searching for one in particular. "Don't you think Brock's been acting a little strange recently?" I asked the others as we watched Brock scroll through his emails.

"Yeah, he hasn't even looked at Nurse Joy yet." Ash agreed.

"It's weird. Every time we get to a Pokémon Centre he goes to check his emails." Misty agreed.

"Yes!" Brock suddenly called, smiling with joy as he picked up a new email. "I finally got an email from Suzie!"

"Who's Suzie?" I asked curiously.

"Suzie's a Pokémon breeder who gave Brock Vulpix. She had her own Pokémon beauty salon, remember Ash?" Misty asked and he nodded his head.

"Yeah. She went away to learn more about Pokémon." He answered as we all stood up and joined Brock.

"So what does Suzie's email say Brock?" Misty asked as we crowded around.

"She says she's going to enter a competition and she's trying to find a Pokémon she can enter with." He told us, summarising the email for us.

"A contest huh?"

"What kind of contest?" Ash asked but Brock groaned in despair.

"Argh! It's a little out of our way but…I've got to see Suzie!" He declared, holding up his fists in a determined stance. And so out of our way we went. The streets were full of trainers with their Pokémon, all of which were groomed, beautified and primped to perfection.

"So what kind of contest is this anyway?" Misty asked as she looked around.

"A Pokémon catching contest?" Ash suggested hopefully but Brock shook his head.

"It's not a Pokémon catching contest Ash, this contest is to show off a Pokémon's beauty!" He snapped slightly as he continued to groom Vulpix, making sure there wasn't a hair out of place as she enjoyed the attention.

"So that's why you've been grooming Vulpix, you're going to enter the contest!" Misty concluded but Brock merely smiled.

"I'm not going to enter the contest but Vulpix is. I'll explain later, right now I have to get Vulpix ready." He said and I chuckled, hugging my egg in its incubator case as Vulpix bathed in luxury.

"You're enjoying that aren't you Vulpix?" I questioned and she beamed sweetly.

"Vulpix." She agreed as Brock continued to work on her back.

"Vulpix, I have to make you look beautiful." He said to her. "And speaking of beauty, you three could do with a little sprucing up. You can't meet Suzie looking all scruffy and scuzzy." Misty's face fell as she gave Brock a dark look, insulted by his lack of consideration.

"You don't look so great yourself Brock." She told him as I gave him a similar look.

"Besides, we've been out on the road for weeks with only a few breaks at the Pokémon Centre. I think anyone would look worse for wear after such an ordeal, don't you think?" Suddenly Brock whirled around, spinning quickly and somehow managed to change until he was wearing a dapper white suit and a goofy smile.

"How do I look now?" He asked but Ash just stared in bewilderment.

"You look like the ice cream man." So I smacked him on the back of his head for that as Misty laughed softly and quickly covered up Ash's tracks.

"What he means is you look very cool and very sweet." She corrected with a smile. Apparently we were to meet Suzie by the square so Brock, with Vulpix and fresh roses, led the way, practically skipping every step with excitement as he hummed a tuneless song that even had me shuddering.

There were even more Pokémon in the square, dressed up and groomed ready for the competition, however most of them had been painted on with makeup, which only made me frown and ask why on earth would someone make a Pokémon suffer in such a way?

"Hey Brock, some of these Pokémon look really pretty." Ash said but Brock was unfased.

"You're right about that but this contest isn't just about how a Pokémon looks, the judges also look at how a breeder has raised their Pokémon. Suddenly Misty gasped and ran off towards a Pokémon and its trainer so I hurried after her, not wanting her to be cut off and alone should we get separated, but then I saw the reason why she'd run off in the first place.

"Wow! Your Ninetales is amazing!" I breathed as Misty began to admire it from every angle.

"Yeah! It's the prettiest Ninetales ever! Do you mind if I touch it? Brush it? Please? How do you get it to look like that? Is it a secret?" She whittled off every question she could come up with and I watched as the trainer's face grew more and more agitated.

"May I ask a question?" He asked and Misty smiled.

"Sure."

"I'm minding my own business, trying to get my Ninetales ready for the beauty contest, then you come along and ask me a million questions, so my question is will you please leave me alone?" Becoming defensive when I saw Misty's face fall in hurt I stepped out in front of her and glared down at the jerk who had just shouted at my friend.

"Hey buddy, you should be more grateful that Misty's paying attention to your Pokémon! It means she thinks it beautiful and she was just trying to compliment you and be nice, but then you go and get all in her face like that! Why don't you smarten up or you'll never be as pretty on the inside as your Pokémon is on the outside!" I yelled right back but then a gentle voice spoke up.

"She's right you know, you could be a little more polite Zayne." I looked up to see a beautiful woman with bluish green hair holding Vulpix and Brock's flowers with Ash and Brock standing at her side.

"Suzie!" The trainer blinked in surprise.

"Suzie!" Misty echoed and now it was me blinking.

"Suzie? So you're Suzie? Hi! I've heard a lot about you." I said with a smile, giving her a wave so she smiled at me, giving a nod before turning to Zayne.

"Instead of being rude like that you should be happy that she thinks your Ninetales is so beautiful." She reprimanded gently so Zayne sighed then looked down, smiling softly.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I'm just so focused on winning the beauty contest." He said before looking up. "But now, I'm just focused on you." He said to Suzie. Woah there, that's a surprise. I glanced over to Brock to see him a little crestfallen so as the others decided to go for some light lunch, I gently nudged Brock along, shifting the egg into one arm to wind my arm through Brock's and led him forwards.

We all sat down together, ordering some tea and small cakes. "So you two must have known each other for a while." Misty said to Suzie and Zayne as the Pokémon all settled either on or around the table.

"Oh yes, since we were both in nursery school." Suzie nodded her head. "And even way back then we both wanted to be breeders. And we both started out with our own Vulpix." All the while Suzie had spoken, Zayne hadn't looked away from her.

"Suzie vowed she'd be the world's top Vulpix breeder, I said I'd do the same." He revealed but then Brock slammed his hands on the table and began to yell in his face.

"So you're a rival?! Suzie's sworn mortal enemy!" Zayne however didn't appear at all fazed by Brock's intimidation dance.

"Well we're rivals but certainly not enemies." He said as I grabbed Brock's jacket and dragged him back into his seat as Ash tried to diffuse the situation.

"Your Ninetales is cool Zayne." He told him as Misty leaned closer.

"It looks like spun gold." She agreed and Zayne gave a grateful nod.

"I hope you're right. Suzie and her Vulpix will be tough to beat. So, we decided that Ninetales should evolve. I like to win, just as much as Suzie does." Ninetales looked up at her trainer with soft adoration and it warmed my heart.

"Well it sounds like you and Zayne have a lot in common Suzie." Misty said to them as I sipped on my milkshake.

"We do Misty but we also have some big disagreements, especially about Pokémon. Zayne thinks that what makes a Pokémon beautiful is what's on the outside but I think beauty comes from the inside." Zayne looked away with a sceptical expression.

"That's so old school." He said and Brock's mouth twitched in anger as he tried to supress it. "If Vulpix belonged to me I'd cut and curl its hair and make it look beautiful." Zayne said as he gently stroked Vulpix's head. "You want to look beautiful, don't you Vulpix?" In answer Vulpix stood up and nestled herself into Suzie's arm, looking proudly up at her trainer.

"Well I think my little friend here looks beautiful just the way it is, and no amount of cutting and curling can match the beauty I can see in its eyes." Suzie said, turning an imploring look to Zayne who seemed to still not get it.

"You know, there's more than one way to look beautiful." I said and everyone looked to me, so I put down my milkshake and met their eyes turn for turn. "There's not one specific way a Pokémon or a person can look their best, there are many different styles that may either make them look prettier or uglier, however sometimes it's best to leave Pokémon as they are naturally, because that's when they can be their true self, and the same goes for us humans. We're more beautiful when we're natural, because it's a reflection of who we really are on the inside too." Everyone blinked at me so I looked down and blushed. "Sorry, was that dumb?"

"No of course not Ruby, that's exactly how I feel about beauty and Pokémon." Suzie said with a smile and Zayne sighed.

"Well, Ninetales and I had better go get ready. We wish you and Vulpix the best of luck." He said as he stood up before turning to his companion. "Come on, let's go Ninetales." Suzie sighed almost wistfully, watching after Zayne as he left.

"In his heart he's the sweetest boy in the whole world." She said before quickly remembering Brock was sitting next to her, fists tightly clenched and lip stiff. "Oh! I forgot about you sitting there Brock, of course you're very sweet in your own way too." In answer Brock thumped his fists on the table.

"That guy's not sweet! He's our number one competition, and we have to defeat him totally!" I quickly grabbed his ear and began to drag him back though he kicked and struggled all the way.

"Okay maestro, time for an interval and a time out." I said, taking him far away from the situation so that he could calm down, taking deep breaths until he was once more composed. When it was time I left Brock with Suzie and went to get my seat with Ash and Misty, the three of us sitting together and facing the stage which was for now, empty.

"See what number Suzie and Brock are." Ash said and Misty looked at her programme.

"According to this, they're number thirty seven." She said so I leaned forwards.

"And what about Zayne?"

"He's after Suzie, see?" I nodded my head. This is going to be a tough competition. People sure have strange ways of making their Pokémon look beautiful, if you could call it that. I remember seeing a Machamp that looked more like a clown, the poor thing. I just don't get it. What could be more beautiful than a Pokémon in its natural state?

"Well if you ask me, if I went up there with any of my Pokémon we'd wipe the floor with the competition." I said proudly. "All of my Pokémon are naturally beautiful as well as strong." The contest started with a man greeting us all on the loudspeaker, pictures of Pokémon showing up on screen and I even saw a Gengar with piercings. Now that to me was just cruel.

"Would entry number one come to the stage please!" We waited in anticipation, watching for someone to walk out but nothing happened. "Number one? Number one?" But still no joy. I wonder what had happened, had there been an accident?

"Hey, number one's not coming out." Ash frowned, looking around the stage.

"I wonder why?" Suddenly the stage filled with a single overhead beam and filled with smoke, spreading out across the stage and made everyone gasp, except the front row, they just coughed on the fumes. "What's going on?" Misty demanded, frowning as I leaned forwards, peering into the smog to see a Wheezing, Arbok, Victreebel, Wobbuffet and Meowth leap out on stage with their trainers with some really wacky designs. It was…kinda scary.

The crowd went wild, cheering for the rather inventive new style the two trainers had created. I watched them dance and prance about the stage, showing off their Pokémon's new looks whilst also styling on the go.

"Those guys are weird." Misty announced decisively and I heartily agreed with her.

"Hold it right there!" Officer Jenny yelled as she ran on stage with a trainer and his Marill at her side, heading straight for the first contestants. "These two are frauds. They locked up the real first contestant and his Marill in a closet and took his place." She declared and there was a deep gasp from everyone in the stands. Suddenly Officer Jenny blew her top in a way that even put Misty to shame and she dragged them all off stage by herself, everyone staring in shock.

So after that little hiccup everything went back to normal. I didn't really enjoy the contest, seeing as it was simply strangely made up Pokémon being brought out onto stage with no battling or real showing off of any kind, so I actually fell asleep in my chair, curled up with my egg and only just about heard Misty as she stood up.

"Hey, we're going to see Brock and Suzie. You wanna come?" Giving a sleepy yawn I nodded my head with a smile.

"Sure. I'm coming." So I got up and followed them both to the contestant waiting room to check on Brock, who by now must be sweating Buckets. We carefully picked our way through the Pokémon, avoiding feet, tails and paws until finally we spotted Suzie and Brock with Vulpix.

"Hey it's almost your turn Brock, how you feeling?" Ash asked and Brock gulped before answering hesitantly.

"I'm…just fine."

"Relax." Misty said to him warmly. "You all look just beautiful." She complimented with Pikachu chirping with agreement, making Suzie chuckle softly with a smile. Just then the doors burst open and two doctors stood there with serious expressions, their mouths covered with a surgeon's mask and their hair held back out of the way.

"Alright, attention please, attention please! We're Pokémon doctors from the Pokémon Breeder's Licensing Division." The first announced, a woman with slim glasses settled on her sharp nose.

"We're here to perform examinations on every Pokémon entered in the contest." The other revealed, some guy with an awful haircut.

"How come nobody told us?" Brock asked smartly as the two doctors suddenly turned and glared at us.

"That's strange, I never heard anything about an examination." Suzie mused quietly but the woman snapped at her quickly.

"The rules were changed. It's something new." Well they certainly changed their minds fast, what's the point of an examination halfway through a competition? Half the contestants had already showcased their Pokémon.

"This doesn't sound right to me." Brock told them honestly but the woman turned her piercing glare on him instead.

"Who cares how you think it sounds? Anyone who doesn't follow the rules will be disqualified." Suddenly there was a collective gasp and people began to whisper, worrying about their chances in the contest as the two doctors waited patiently.

"Disqualified?!" Brock gulped.

"Okay people, have your Pokémon line up outside the door." The man called and Pokémon began to move forwards as the woman came over to us and picked up Vulpix.

"Come now don't be shy, it won't hurt a bit." She promised, turning and carrying Vulpix away.

"Hey wait lady, you can't just take Vulpix!" I said and tried to reach out for her but she shrugged off my hand.

"You quit that tongue with its waggling, little girl, we're professionals and if you don't zip it then I'll be forced to disqualify your friends from the competition because of your rudeness." She warned so I quickly shut my mouth. I watched as Zayne's Ninetales was led away also and all the Pokémon were led outside, where the doors were then shut behind the doctors as they called out.

"There's no need to worry."

"Your Pokémon are safe with us!" The guy assured us all before they both chorused as one. "We're doctors!" Something smells fishy to me. Surely someone more official would have come down to tell us that this was going to happen, and why do it now when the interval is nearly over?

Zayne walked over to the door and tried to open it, turning the handle and tugging but it wouldn't budge. "Hey!" He began to bang his fist on the hard wood as he continued to try and force it open. "Unlock this door, we want to see our Pokémon right now!"

"Stand aside." Brock said seriously as he approached. "I'll take care of this. I choose you Geodude! Break down the door!" Brock let out his Pokémon without letting go of the ball and the moment Geodude appeared, he swung his fist into the door and broke both of them down with one punch. Now that's what I call muscle power!

Everyone ran outside into the open only to find the doctors and the Pokémon had disappeared. "Oh no!" Suzie gasped as we ran out into the courtyard. "Where did those doctors go?"

"They couldn't have just disappeared." Misty said reassuringly and as I looked up, I pointed.

"Look!" Laughter filled the air alongside a super powered Meowth hot air balloon and it carried a large crate underneath it. I bet you ten bucks it has all the Pokémon in it and those doctors were really Jessie and James.

"The doctors are right up here, or are they?"

"Now we'll take off our masks and show you who we really are!" With that they tore off their masks and hats to reveal themselves to be the false contestants that had tried to steal the first spot in the competition. Oh I see now. I should have known that would be Team Rocket, seeing as they're the only people who could have come up with such ridiculous fashions and act so weird.

"We appear to be those talented stylists…but underneath we're really…tah-dah!" Jessie and James crowed as they ripped off their outer costume to reveal their Team Rocket uniforms. Someone owes me ten bucks.

"You twerps would have been much better off if that officer of yours hadn't thrown us out of the contest." Jessie sneered as the balloon began to rise.

"Now you don't only lose the contest but your friends lose all their Pokémon!" James added with a smirk of satisfaction as Meowth popped up with laugh.

"Now we've gotta run-I mean fly!" Everyone began to shout and cry with fear as they watched the crate that carried their Pokémon inside fly away.

"Hurry Ash, you've gotta do something!" Misty told Ash but he already had a Pokéball in hand.

"Already on it Misty. Noctowl, I choose you!" Noctowl flew upwards the moment it was out of its Pokéball and pierced the balloon by flying through it, popping two holes so that it began to descend back to the ground, the crate landing with a loud thud.

"Okay Scyther, use Slash to break open the lock!" I called brightly, tossing my Pokéball directly upwards then caught it again once Scyther had been released. Scyther sped towards the crate with a cry, swinging one blade in a clean sweep and the lock was easily broken apart. Hm, tacky stuff.

"Scyther!" Scyther pulled open the doors and let all the Pokémon out and they all ran to their trainers with elated cries, jumping into their arms or snuggling against them to reassure themselves that they were safe.

"Well, does someone need a doctor?" Ash asked as he and I approached Team Rocket as they lay on the ground arguing between themselves but at Ash's little joke, Jessie sat up with a growl.

"Urgh, you think you're pretty funny?"

"We don't!" James announced, picking up a Pokéball as well.

"Let's see if you're still laughing after a Pokémon battle." They both leaped to their feet and let their Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, however Victreebel instantly tried to swallow James with a screech as he kicked his legs wildly before finally escaping.

Scyther easily skidded along the ground to a halt in front of me, joining the battle so that it was two and two and a fairer odd. "Alright Scyther, get ready." I told him as James shook out his head then pointed to Pikachu.

"Victreebel Razor Leaf attack!" The Razor Leaf came shooting towards us and I was just about to tell Scyther to use Fury Cutter when two Flamethrowers came from behind us and burnt out the leaves, stopping them in their tracks and we both turned to see Vulpix and Ninetales leap forwards to join the battle.

"Ninetales!"

"Vulpix?" I questioned after Ash's little exclamation. What were they doing? We turned around to see Zayne and Suzie standing together with disgusted looks on their faces.

"They're a disgrace to trainers and breeders everywhere. We have to teach them that they can't steal Pokémon!" Zayne declared but Jessie didn't like that thought one little bit.

"You teach us? You've got to be kidding kid. James and I are members of Team Rocket. You can't teach us anything." She told them stubbornly, looking away and folding her arms however Suzie answered her smoothly with an angry frown.

"If we could teach you you'd know how ridiculous your silly team is."

"That's the last straw! Alright Arbok, prepare to attack!" Jessie screeched as she pointed at us and I swallowed nervously, stepping aside with Ash to let Zayne and Suzie take over the battle.

"Ready Zayne?"

"Ready Suzie." They both nodded their heads before turning to face Team Rocket.

"Vulpix!"

"Ninetales!" They called out in turn before speaking together as one. "Fire Spin attack!" Both Pokémon leaped up and let loose their powerful fire attack, however I noticed how much colder Nintales's Fire Spin was and paler in colour. That didn't seem right, a Ninetales is meant to be just as hot as a Vulpix within, maybe something is wrong?

However the two differently coloured Fire Spins combined into a beautiful vortex, spiralling around Team Rocket and lifted them all off the ground and tossed into the air, yelping and wincing at the heat until they were left charred and burned.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Awesome! At least that show is all over.

"Alright!" Ash cheered with Pikachu, who leaped up onto his shoulder and I ran over to Scyther.

"You were a great help Scyther, thanks a lot!" I smiled, leaping up and flinging one arm around his neck as he smiled.

"Scyther! Scy…." He nuzzled his head into me until I stepped back and lifted my Pokéball.

"You deserve a rest now, so you take a break." I returned him then turned around to see Suzie and Zayne smiling at one another, both Vulpix and Ninetales glowing with pride. "Hey guys, how about we go and finish this competition?" I suggested. "I think the crowd is beginning to wonder where we are."

"You're right. Come on! Let's hurry up!" Ash said as some officials turned up to demand what had happened. We let Suzie and Zayne explain things as we rushed back to our seats, watching as the rest of the contestants appeared on stage. I managed to last until Zayne and his Ninetales had appeared, but after that? Well…let's just say it's a good thing I don't snore.


	22. Chapter 22

"Thank you so much for letting me borrow your Eevee and Dragonair Ruby, they are both fascinating subjects." Professor Oak said to me as Eevee leaped around the lab room, making me giggle. "Though I can never seem to quite keep up with Eevee's rather playful nature."

"You have to sing to her to get her to calm down." I told him. "Eevee likes to hear calming music so she'll stop and listen. That's how you get her to sit still."

"Oh I see!" Professor Oak laughed. "I'll remember that for next time. I can send Eevee back to you now if you like, I was wondering though if you wouldn't mind me researching your Dragonair for a little while longer." He said to me as Eevee jumped up onto his shoulder and beamed at the screen.

"Vee! Eevee Vee!" I giggled, smiling at my adorable little Pokémon before nodding my head.

"Of course Professor, it's not a problem at all. I'll call again in a few days to make a switch, I'd really like to get to know Dragonair and start training, seeing as she might be an entirely new Pokémon now that she's evolved."

"Oh I wouldn't count on it." Professor Oak told me gently as he tried to return Eevee to her Pokéball though he struggled with all her leaping about. "Dragonair seems to be the same gentle, calm, peaceful Pokémon it was as a Dratini…would you sit still!"

"Eevee, sit!" I commanded and Eevee plonked herself down on the floor, wagging her tail as she smiled up at the professor who sighed with relief.

"Thank you Ruby." He said as he returned Eevee then placed her in the transport. "Sending you Eevee." Within the next second Eevee's Pokéball appeared and I smiled, picking it up and showed it to the professor.

"Pokémon received. Thanks professor. Say hello to Dragonair and Tracey for me, gotta go!"

"Good luck out there Ruby!" I nodded my head then signed off the call, turning around and let Eevee out of her Pokéball.

"Eevee!" I beamed and knelt down to put down the egg then opened my arms, laughing as Eevee sprang into them.

"Vee! Eevee Vee!" I giggled as she licked my cheek repeatedly, all too happy to be back with me again.

"I've missed you Eevee, have you had fun?" I asked and she nodded her head so I smiled, hugged her again then began to check her over. "Well, you've definitely been playing. How about we have a grooming session?" I offered and Eevee danced around my feet as I picked up the egg then left the Pokémon centre to go over to the fountain where the others sat.

"Hey Eevee, it's good to see you again." Misty said with a smile as Eevee raced over to them.

"Eevee there you are! I've got something for you." Brock knelt down with some of his special Pokémon food and Eevee guzzled it down then licked his hand clean after, squirming with excitement as I chuckled then lifted her off the ground.

"Come on, your fur is a mess." I said to her, sitting down on the fountain edge and put the egg in front of Eevee, giving her the task of watching over it as I began to hum quietly and Eevee's ears swivelled back to listen as I began to brush the dirt from her fur. She'd need a proper bath but this will have to do for now.

I looked up when I heard Ash coming back with the supplies Brock had sent him out to get then laughed as he struggled with all the bags. "Do we really need all this?" Ash asked as he dumped the bags in front of Brock.

"Careful!" Brock quickly set to work rescuing the food and supplies and I tossed my bag over to him so that he could pack some things in there to help with space. "So now we've got everything, are we ready to go?"

"We're ready." I nodded my head. "Come on Eevee, how about you enjoy the sun for a while?" I suggested and she nodded, springing down from the fountain side as I put away the brush, shouldered my pack then picked up the egg. "Alright then, let's go."

We left the city and the moment I was out in the country I breathed in the fresh air gladly. I couldn't ever live in a city, it's just too crowded and too fumigated with modern technology. Besides, you couldn't even see the stars at night.

Conversation was light and easy which I dipped in and out of though I mainly kept an eye on Eevee as she danced around, but eventually she wore herself out and walked calmly at my side, stopping only to sniff some flowers before jumping to catch up with me again.

It was only about two hours since we'd left the city when we heard a little kid's voice call out from down below the mountain path we were climbing, making us stop to listen. "My name's Alex Davies from Cherrygrove City!"

"I wonder what's going on down there." Misty said as we tried to pinpoint exactly where the voice had come from.

"Sounds like a Pokémon battle." Instantly Ash's interest was sparked, his face lighting up as he turned to Pikachu.

"Come on Pikachu! Let's check it out!"

"Pika!" The two of them ran forwards and Eevee's ear twitched, signalling she had heard something of interest so she lifted her nose up into the air and began to sniff.

"Vee!" Eevee sprang forwards but I quickly swept her up onto my shoulder, seeing that she was heading straight for the cliff edge.

"Oh no you don't, I'm keeping a close eye on you little madam." I said with a laugh, following after Ash with the others. "If you go hurtling on ahead like that then you'll go tumbling over the side, I know you will."

"Vee!" Eevee beamed then licked my cheek before settling on my shoulder, all too happy to take a rest. I walked over to Ash with the egg snug in my arms and looked over the side to where he was staring. Hang on, is that…Gary? But what Pokémon was that he had with him? "Vee…" Eevee gasped and I looked to see her eyes sparkling. No. It couldn't be. Could it?

"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked then pulled out Dexter to see if there was any information.

"Umbreon, the moonlight Pokémon. When an Eevee has had sufficient training and is exposed to moonlight, it evolved into an Umbreon." The picture was of a black furred Pokémon with long ears like Eevee's, only they were more rounded. It also had red eyes and yellow circles on its body, one on its forehead and one on each leg with a ring on each ear and its tail. I think Eevee was in love.

"Gary must have had a lot of tough battles to get his Eevee to evolve into an Umbreon." Ash said as I looked to Eevee. I've never heard of an Umbreon before, but if that meant there were more possible Eevee evolutions out there…did that mean that she didn't need a stone to evolve after all? She could theoretically choose what she evolved into if she wanted?

"I can't wait to see it in action." Brock agreed quietly as we all watched from above.

"Umbreon, this is the first new opponent you've had in a while, so study its attacks carefully." I heard Gary say to his Umbreon who stood up and nodded its head.

"Bre!"

"Okay, let's get this over with." Gary said and I arched an eyebrow at Gary's slightly rude tone. I think the kid agreed with me because he growled and shook a fist slightly at Gary.

"I don't like your attitude. Alakazam! Zap Cannon!" Zap Cannon? I've not heard or seen this move before. Wicked, this is going to be an awesome battle! Alakazam stepped forwards and its spoons began to crackle with electricity before forming a sphere between the two. Umbreon stepped forwards and lowered its stance, preparing to dodge.

"Breon!" Finally the sphere was fully formed and it powered forwards with astonishing speed and strength, shooting towards Umbreon but Gary quickly countered the attack.

"Dodge it Umbreon!" Umbreon leaped high up into the air, higher than I would have thought possible and I stared in slight awe, hearing Eevee gasp on my shoulder.

"Alakazam, use Psychic attack!"

"Alakazam!" The powerful looking Pokémon tore up the ground with its attack, sending rocks flying towards Umbreon with the Psychic boost, however when Umbreon landed, it just stood there. Why wasn't it doing anything to protect itself? What was Gary thinking?! The wave of force hit however it seemed to just wash over Umbreon, not having any effect at all. What? I don't understand.

"Hey! It didn't work!" Alex spoke out in surprise, frowning in confusion as Umbreon stepped back up to the plate.

"I thought you'd be smarter than to use a Psychic attack against an Umbreon." Well, there's the Gary we all know. In answer Alex merely twitched before pointing towards Umbreon.

"Go! Use your Headbutt Alakazam!" Alakazam lifted itself off the ground with its own psychic abilities then sped forwards, kicking up a dust trail behind it as Gary calmly told Umbreon to dodge.

"Now Tackle attack!" It was a strong hit and Umbreon looked very graceful doing it, throwing Alakazam back but it didn't fall down, merely scraped in its feet and remained standing as Alex called out with worry.

"Alakazam!" However once he saw that Alakazam was still standing he smirked. "Yeah! Alakazam, use your Dynamic Punch!" Wow, this kid really had some sweet moves, he really seemed to know what he was doing.

Alakazam sped at Umbreon with a glowing fist, focusing in on its opponent. "Alright Umbreon, use your Agility!" Umbreon then began to move with unbelievable speed and on point precision, jumping from side to side before leaping up into the air, and even when Alakazam went for an uppercut Umbreon tucked and rolled over its head to avoid the blow.

"That Umbreon sure has great Agility." Brock said in admiration.

"It's going to be tough to beat." Misty nodded her head as I watched Gary closely, learning his strategy. As Umbreon landed I could see that Alakazam was exhausted, its shoulders heaving whilst Umbreon still looked fresh from its Pokéball.

"I think we're just about done." Gary mused as Alex called out his next move, obviously not planning on giving up so easily.

"Alakazam, use you Double Team!" Multiple opponents then appeared, surrounding Umbreon in a ring and I smirked. This should be good. I wonder how Gary will deal with this one.

"Not bad. Umbreon! Don't be fooled by the fakes, stay calm until you sense the real Alakazam then attack!" Suddenly all the Alakazam sprang forwards, at once, lunging for Umbreon whose ears were twitching. Eevee gasped, standing upright and gave a small whine of worry so I reached up with one hand and gently stroked her neck to comfort her.

Suddenly Umbreon sprang up into the air then powered down on a single Alakazam, which turned out to be the real one! It crashed into the ground with a groan, hitting pretty hard but then Gary struck. "Umbreon use your Quick Attack!"

"Alakazam hurry, use Teleport!" Alex quickly called and Alakazam disappeared, stopping Umbreon in its tracks as it quickly searched around for its opponent. "Alright! Now finish it off with a Hyper Beam attack!" Nice moves kid, you've really got some guts and talent, I like it. Alex seems to really know what he's doing. However Gary suddenly called out to his Umbreon, warning him that it was coming from the left and Umbreon instantly leaped up into the air, avoiding the hit altogether.

"Now, use Hidden Power!" No way! Umbreon's eyes began to glow bright white and powerful waves shot out and struck Alakazam, revealing its position as it took the hits and was flung back into a tree, where it struck then fell to the ground, struggling to move.

"Alakazam!" Alex ran over to his Pokémon with concern before lifting his Pokéball. "You put up a good battle, you deserve a good rest." He said to his Pokémon, letting it back into the Pokéball and I smiled softly to myself.

"Awesome." Misty breathed as Togepi trilled in her arms and Eevee sighed dreamily, her sparkling eyes gazing at the Umbreon adoringly.

"That Umbreon has been raised well." Brock said almost to himself as Ash looked down with a determined expression.

"We can beat 'em! Come on Pikachu!" And then the genius leaped over the side.

"Ash wait!" I yelled, trying to reach out and grab him but my foot slipped and with my weight leaning forwards, tumbled over the side too. Eevee leaped off my shoulder to avoid being hit but I continued to roll, yelling as I tucked up and tried to keep the egg from being harmed however Eevee raced after me, springing down the slope whilst calling.

"Vee! Vee! Vee!" I landed with a crash on my back, all the wind knocked from my lungs and then Eevee landed on top of me, instantly spinning around as I grunted from the impact. "Vee? Vee Vee Vee? Eevee Vee!" Groaning I shook my head from side to side.

"Ketchum…you had better start running…" I managed to groan before opening my eyes. "Oh great. Just typical." I exhaled, staring directly up at Gary and his Umbreon.

"You okay?" Gary asked as I managed to turn and sit up, sitting my hat back on my head correctly so it wasn't lopsided.

"Sure. I just love falling off of cliffs. It's a hobby of mine." I replied before looking at his Umbreon. "Wow, you sure grew up well. Let me get a good look at you." I smiled, reaching out and Umbreon gave a small smile, rubbing his head into my hand then stepped forwards as I began to look at him closely. He really was a fine Pokémon. Gary had obviously put a lot of care and work into raising him.

"Umbreon. Breon…" Umbreon said to me then looked down at Eevee as she sat there prettily, giving her adorable lopsided smile with her tail swishing across the ground. Umbreon turned his head away and lifted his nose in the air slightly, signalling he wasn't interested.

"Now that's now way to behave mister." I said to him sternly. "You could at least be polite and say hello." I told him as I stood. That's when I noticed the little Squirtle charm on Gary's necklace, sitting in front where everyone could see it. I blushed a little but made no comment.

"Hey Gary! Why won't you battle me?!" Ash whined, waving his arms as he tried to get Gary's attention back.

"I already learned all of Pikachu's attack patterns so a battle will be a waste of my time and yours." Gary answered with pride and I rolled my eyes. Looks like his new Umbreon had turned him back to the way he used to be. Arrogant and prude. With that, he began to walk away with his Umbreon who had been suffering through Eevee's attention as she danced around him.

"You stop right there!" Ash yelled and Gary turned his head back to shoot Ash a look. "Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Noctowl!" Ash called as he let out all of his Pokémon to parade them to Gary. "I don't have to use Pikachu, I could beat you and Umbreon just as easy with any of these other Pokémon."

Just then Chikorita bounded over to Ash and began to nuzzle against his leg affectionately whilst Totodile began to dance, clapping his hands. Cyndaquil walked past them both and Ashbegan to get flustered. "Cyndaquil stay here!" Ash yelped, quickly jumping to grab Cyndaquil before it could wander off and I sighed, shaking my head as Noctowl preened its feathers.

When we both looked up, Gary and Umbreon had gone. Eevee gave a sad sigh, watching Umbreon leave so I sat down, put the egg to my side then lifted her into my lap. "Hey its okay, I'm sure Umbreon will see how beautiful and special you are someday. All you have to do is just keep on being yourself and we'll show them both how strong you are too." I told her confidently and she nodded her head. "How about you return for a rest?" I suggested but instantly she gripped onto me tighter, shaking her head. Okay, I guess she's feeling a little too broken hearted to be away from me right now. This might be a little harder than I thought.

"Where's Gary going?" Misty asked as the other two finally arrived, taking the sensible route down.

"Didn't you challenge him Ash?" Brock questioned as Ash glared after Gary.

"I'll beat him next time." He assured us all as I stood up.

"Well, we might as well get going. There should be a small town up ahead and I think we should stop there before it gets dark." I said, carrying both the egg and Eevee on my shoulder as I set off and the others followed.

All the way there Ash scowled and glared at his feet and I had to tug on his backpack several times to pull him out of the way of walking into a tree or off the cliff edge altogether, though I didn't say a word. He was still pretty angry that Gary had just put him down like that and I would be too if someone treated me like that. It wasn't fair.

What didn't help, however, was Misty and Brock talking about Gary and his Umbreon all the way there. "Gary's Umbreon sure was cool, wasn't it Brock?"

"Way cool. Did you see that coat? I wish I knew how he got it smooth and shiny like that." Brock agreed dreamily. Count on the breeder in Brock to say something like that.

"Me too, Gary really knows what he's doing. Don't you think so Ash?" Misty asked but Ash just turned his head slightly and gave a bitter retort.

"Please. Why don't you give your mouth and my ears a rest?"

"Hey!" Misty glared at him. "What's up with you today Prince Charming?" She demanded but Brock was there to diffuse the tension.

"You gotta cut Ash a little slack Misty, he's still mad about Gary giving him the brush off." He told her and she blinked before looking a little guilty. Ash remained sulky all the way until we finally reached the Pokémon Centre.

"I know what'll cheer you up Ash." I said to him with a smile. "Some hot food and a Raspberry Ripple Ruby Delight! How does that sound?" Ash took a deep breath, closing his eyes to push all his anger and upset away before nodding his head.

"It sounds great Ruby." He agreed, so we all stepped inside. Ash's way of dealing with frustration was by eating, so when we got our meals from the cafeteria, Ash had a massive plate of burgers which he chowed down then went back for another plate full whilst I cooked up my white chocolate and raspberry brownies. By the time he'd finished his third helping, they were done and he ate the entire batch by himself.

"Ash slow down." I said to him as he returned with another plateful but I dragged it from him, giving him a serious look then glared at him. "I know you're upset but this is not how you deal with frustration and anger! Eating yourself into your grave isn't going to help or solve anything!" I practically yelled before clearing my throat and calming down. "Now, just calm down and let's think about this…" The lights shut off.

"Huh?" We all blinked and looked up, completely shrouded in darkness. This…cannot be good.

"Come on, let's go find Nurse Joy." Brock said. "Something may be wrong with the power supply."

"Good idea." I grabbed Ash by the scruff of his jacket then hauled him to his feet and dragged him away from the food, pausing to stuff my own face with a couple of burgers since I hadn't eaten yet until we set off to search for Nurse Joy. "Hey Nurse Joy!" I called as we all spotted her. "What's going on? Is something wrong with the power circuits?" I asked her but she hung her head.

"The blackout has hit the entire town. I've tried calling the local power plant but nobody's answering the telephone." She shook her head and held her face with worry. "This is just awful, most of our equipment runs on electricity and if any injured Pokémon come in, I won't be able to help them!"

"Where's the power plant Nurse Joy?" Brock asked her.

"In the mountains, north of the town." She answered so Brock turned to us.

"Come on! Let's go! We're going to the power plant to find out what's going on. Don't worry Nurse Joy, we'll see what happened and straighten this situation out." Brock assured Nurse Joy and I nodded my head.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" We all set off at a run, heading up into the northern mountains straight from the town. I swept Eevee up onto my shoulder and she clung on as I ran, leading the way as we found the main path which led right up to the power plant.

"This way! Come on we've got to hurry!" Ash called, racing up the hill with surprising speed and stamina. Maybe all those burgers and brownies really did help boost his strength. Somehow we managed to keep running on pure determination, not breaking pace all the way to the power plant which gradually came into view. "Hey look!" Ash and Pikachu pointed, spotting the workers all huddled on the ground, tied together by a rope.

"Those guys are tied up!" That means something has happened here.

"Not for much longer. Scyther, I choose you!" I called, spinning around and flung the Pokéball forwards to let out my Pokémon, who appeared with a strong stance, slashing his blades together to make them ring.

"Scyther!"

"Scyther, cut the ropes to let those workers go free!" I directed and he nodded his head, flying forwards but then something large, heavy and blue stamped on the ground in front of us, forcing Scyther backwards. "Scyther! Are you okay?" I asked and Scyther turned his head to nod at me.

"Scyther." Nodding my head as Eevee whimpered I turned my eyes upwards to see what was now blocking our way. It took a long time for my eyes to reach the top, but once I beheld the entire thing, I saw it was a giant Wobbuffet with Team Rocket standing on top.

"What do you idiots want?" I shouted upwards before they could start their stupid motto.

"Prepare for trouble, we've got a new toy." Oh well, guess you can't break a habit once it's stuck.

"And make it double, it's awesome, oh boy!" James replied as the two began their usual chant, however as they were distracted showing off their new robot, I turned to Scyther.

"Scyther, go free those workers now but quietly, don't let Team Rocket see you then stay with them. Make sure they're safe." Scyther nodded his head then flew through the Wobbuffet's legs, moving quickly with his Agility before he reached the workers then swiftly sliced through the ropes, freeing them. I turned back to Team Rocket, now giving them my full attention.

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight." James finished before Meowth jumped up for the grand finale.

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled up at them. "So you're the ones who raided the electric plant!" He said with surprising anger. Guess he was still worked up about Gary giving him the cold shoulder. Jessie laughed then ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes we needed more power than we initially thought to power up our mecha-robo-Wobbuffet." Where do they come up with these ideas? And how do they build things like this so fast? Was there like a Team Rocket robot store somewhere?

"That's Wobbu-wight!" James and Meowth teamed as Jessie laughed again.

"If our pathetic little Wobbuffet can use Counter attacks then why not try a giant Wobbuffet? Now you twerps will never be able to defeat us again."

"And tonight's the night we finally get your Pikachu!" James added before they disappeared inside. Really? All this for Pikachu? Those guys seriously need to get a proper life, because this is just ridiculous. Don't they have anything better to do with their time?

"Alright Pikachu, let's hit them with a Thunderbolt!" Ash called and Pikachu leaped off his shoulder as Eevee cowered back slightly on mine, unsure of what to make of this giant monstrosity. Suddenly two doors opened on the Wobbuffet's chest and Pikachu's Thunderbolt attack hit the glowing centre, which gathered up the energy before shooting it right back at us!

"Move it!" I yelled, turning and we all raced out of the way, running a few metres before turning to see the Wobbuffet pursuing after us.

"If electricity won't work then maybe water will! Totodile!" Ash called, sending out his Pokémon and Misty smiled.

"I can help too! Staryu, Poliwhirl, let's go!" Her two Pokémon joined Totodile as they faced the giant Wobbuffet. Hang on a moment, if Wobbuffet has been super-sized, then that means its Counter attack will throw back anything we throw at it, including…

"Water Gun!"

"No!" I yelled but it was too late. The three Pokémon fired their Water Gun attacks at the Wobbuffet, which was only returned with double the power. "Run for it!" We all turned tail and fled as the massive plume of water plummeted down after us. Once the water had all washed out we turned back to face the Wobbuffet as it continued to follow after us.

"I hate to say it but I think that thing may be unstoppable." Brock said but I shook my head.

"Nothing is unstoppable." I answered but Jessie's voice rang through from within the robot.

"Wrong! Unbeatable too. You see, whatever attack you send our mecha-Wobbuffet's way, gets absorbed by the turbo kick engine, which sends it back with twice the power as the original. So twerp, are you ready to hand over that Pikachu?"

"Never going to happen Jessie!" Ash returned simply, glaring up at the robot Wobbuffet sharply.

"Well, we're just going to have to help ourselves now, won't we?" She replied and the Wobbuffet began to move. "Go robo-mecha -Wobbuffet! Punch!" I took a large step back in alarm as the Wobbuffet lunged for us, however something seemed to hold it back and it swung its arms wildly, unable to move further forwards. Well at least we didn't meet our end by a giant super robot Wobbuffet. That would have been embarrassing.

"Tackle attack Umbreon!" I heard Gary call and suddenly, the Wobbuffet stopped moving in mid action, freezing in place as Gary suddenly appeared from behind the giant beastie. "Okay Ash, now's our chance to get those three clowns."

"Gary?" Ash blinked in surprise before nodding his head. "Alright, let's do it!" I ran forwards, racing past Gary and called out.

"Scyther! Scyther are you okay? Where are you?" I called, Eevee springing from my shoulder to help look but I found him still guarding over the workmen as they tried to get the power back online. I smiled and rubbed his head, praising him softly before letting him return to his Pokéball. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, we're all fine." One of the workmen assured me.

"Is there any chance you'll be able to get the power back on soon?" I asked them. "It's just that the Pokémon Centre needs power or the Pokémon might be in serious trouble if there's an emergency."

"To tell you the truth it could take a while since those goons messed with the power." Another told me as the others arrived, however one of the workers hummed in thought.

"You know Mike, if we can turn on the system in the secondary damn then we might be able to get back online pretty quick." He said to his taller friend who nodded his head and smiled.

"You're right! If we can get the water gate open, we can switch on the power in no time!"

"The water gate…" Gary murmured quietly before turning to his Pokémon. "Come on let's go Umbreon!" He then ran off with Umbreon, heading off and I quickly moved off after him.

"Hey wait up!"

"Yeah we'll come with you!" I crossed passed the power plant with Ash only a few steps behind but then a huge foot stamped on the ground between us with such force I cried out and hit the ground, almost losing the egg but Eevee quickly sprang back and jumped on it, keeping it from rolling away.

"Not so fast!" Jessie growled and I gasped as I stood up, egg back in my arms.

"Ash!"

"You go help Gary, don't worry about us!" Ash called back so I paused a moment, weighing my options before nodding my head and running after Gary. Eevee and I ran after Gary, running across the dam to find him trying to wrestle with the cable but with no luck.

"Gary! What's the problem? Why aren't the flood gates opening?" I asked as he stepped back and brushed off his hands.

"I can't get it to turn. It might need some sort of key to turn it. Umbreon, use Moonlight." Suddenly Umbreon began to glow and Eevee looked with awe at him as Gary began to inspect the cable. "Just as I thought. Thanks Umbreon."

"Umbreon." Eevee sat down and gazed up at Umbreon, who noticed her watching him so he gave a slow nod before going and sitting beside Gary.

"So…what do we do?" I asked, looking around. "We have to get the power back to the town or it could spell big trouble for a lot of people and Pokémon."

"Gary! Ruby!" Ash yelled as he and the others ran towards us. "What's the matter?" Gary stood up straight, gesturing to the cable as he spoke.

"This is the cable that controls the flood gate, but there doesn't seem to be any way to turn it."

"The handle's missing." Brock realised, pointing to the point where a handle was meant to lock on to make it turn.

"Where could it be?" Ash frowned, scratching the back of his head but then Totodile called out to us, dancing in front of a supplies cabin and instantly I laughed.

"Way to go Totodile!" I cheered as Ash and I ran forwards. "Is it in here Totodile?" Ash tried to open the door but it was locked, meaning it wasn't budging no matter how much he tried to throw his weight on it.

"Cyndaquil…"

"Hold it Ash, I can handle this one." I told him, placing my hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him out the way before facing the door. I turned to the side and with a quick but powerful kick at the door close to the handle, it burst open and I stepped inside, dusting off my hands. "You don't always need to rely on Pokémon." I said before looking around.

"Sure is dark." Ash noted so I whipped out my flashlight and began to look around, but then Umbreon jumped inside and stood on top of a cabinet before beginning to glow.

"Eevee…" Eevee sighed dreamily before blushing and hiding behind my legs.

"Hey, have you found the handle?" Gary demanded impatiently so I shot him a look, putting my torch away.

"Patience is a virtue you know." I told him as Ash ran over to the wall.

"I found it! Huh? Hey Cyndaquil, I need your Flamethrower!" He called, showing the chain to Cyndaquil who fired up then blasted the chain, super heating it until it glowed red hot. "Okay Totodile, Water Gun!" Totodile blasted the hot chain and cooled it down, making the metal brittle and weak. "Chikorita, now that it's weakened, try cut it with your Razor Leaf!" Chikorita bounced forwards and with a smart flick of her leaf, cut the chain and the handle dropped to the ground.

"Smart thinking genius." I said to Ash with an impressed nod of my head. "Looks like you're starting to use that head of yours for something."

"Hey, I'm plenty smart!" He argued with a smirk. "You just don't appreciate it!" I laughed, rolling my eyes before shoving him out the door and towards the flood gate.

"Sure. Now let's move!" Ash slotted the key into place and tried to turn it, but it stuck fast. He moved and tried another angle but that didn't work either, so we all ran forwards and I took one side as the others helped Ash to pull as I tried to lift my side up, the egg sitting safely a few feet away. "Anytime…you feel like helping…just say the word…." I grunted to Gary as I struggled with my task. Gary paused a moment before looking down to Umbreon.

"Let's help 'em out Umbreon!" Umbreon nodded his head and jumped over to my side, moving Eevee out the way then began to push its head under the handle as I pulled and Gary pushed down as Ash also pulled.

Slowly I heard the cable begin to groan, shifting slightly until all at once, it spun around and the flood gates opened up, letting all the water flow through to generate more electricity. "Alright!" Ash cheered as we all stepped away from the cable.

The Pokémon started to celebrate, jumping up and down and I turned around to smile at Eevee who danced with Totodile but then, our luck turned. Cyndaquil tripped and bumped into Pikachu, who smacked into Chikorita who then pushed Totodile, who then shoved Eevee over the side of the dam.

"Eevee!" I screamed, thrusting the egg into Brock's arms but then Umbreon suddenly leaped forwards, grabbing Eevee by the scruff of the neck as she squealed in fear but his paws slipped, leaving him dangling over the side with barely anything to hang onto. "Eevee hang on!" I lunged for them both but Umbreon let go of Eevee, setting her safely on the side as Gary tried to grab him.

"Umbreon no!" But Umbreon's paws slipped, and he fell over the side into the water, tumbling down into the depths as my heart began to race at impossible speeds. "Umbreon!" Brock had to grab Gary and hold him back, the egg now in Ash's hands as we all stared.

"Oh no!" But I was already moving.

"Pidgeot, find Umbreon and pull him out of the water, go!" I yelled, flinging the Pokéball forwards and Pidgeot didn't waste any time in taking a deep dive. Suddenly I felt something digging through my bag and I blinked, turning my head to see Eevee. "Eevee? What are you doing?" When she lifted her head, she held a Water Stone in her mouth. "Eevee drop that! Quick before you start to…"

Eevee leaped down from my shoulder, eyes narrowed and focused with the stone in her mouth until her body started to glow. "Eevee…" I whispered, watching in shock as she started to change. She grew a tail and fins for ears and around her neck, her body becoming more agile until finally, she stood before me as a Vaporeon.

"Vaporeon!" She cried then leaped over the side of the dam.

"No! Eevee! Vaporeon! Come back!" Now Ash, Misty and the Pokémon all struggled to hold me back as I fought to go after her, tears rising to my eyes. "Let me go! Let me go!" I finally ripped myself free and whistled, calling Pidgeot back to me so she swerved back up and I leaped onto he back, gripping with my hands and knees as she then dove back down to the water. "Hurry Pidgeot, they could drown!" Sweat began to roll down the back of my neck as I watched the water carefully, trying to find any sign of the Pokémon but so far there was nothing.

Behind me Gary had jumped onto Aerodactyl's back and they were soaring after us but Pidgeot sailed easily over the water, her speed outranking Aerodactyl's. "Pidgeot!" She called and I lifted my head to where hers was turned and almost cried with relief.

"Vaporeon! Umbreon!" I called, watching as Vaporeon dragged Umbreon out of the water by the scruff of its neck then set him gently on the ground as he shivered. At least they were both alive. "Land there Pidgeot, we need to help them." I said and she nodded her head.

"Pidgeot." She banked around then landed in a clear space, allowing me to jump off and run over to the Pokémon as Vaporeon began to lick Umbreon dry, huddling close to try and keep him warm.

"Alright, it's alright. I'm here now." I soothed as she called out to me with worry. I dropped to my knees and checked Umbreon's breathing, ensuring there wasn't any water trapped in his lungs before pulling out my towel and wrapped him up to keep him warm.

"Umbreon! Are you okay?" Gary fussed as he too landed and came running over, skidding to a halt then drew Umbreon into his arms. "You had me so worried, I thought I was going to lose you!" Gary told him before drawing him closer.

"Umbreon…" He answered, giving a smile and licking Gary's face gently as Vaporeon came and sat beside me, watching Umbreon before giving me a bright, proud smile.

"Poreon!"

"Yes, you did good." I told her with a chuckle, rubbing her head carefully before gently running my hands over the three fins on her head. "You evolved just to save Umbreon? Now that's what I call brave." I said to her softly as her tail gracefully swept over the ground. She looked far more elegant and sophisticated than before, however her eyes were still the same. Playful and mischievous yet warm and loving.

I glanced over to Umbreon and gave a secret smile as I saw his eyes shine and sparkle slightly as he stared at Vaproeon, mouth completely agape as I dug around in my bag before drawing out some Pokémon food. "Here, this should help warm you up Umbreon. It's one of Charizard's lava lumps but don't worry, it's not too spicy, just very warming." I explained to him and help out one of the lumps which Umbreon took from my hand with a grateful nod.

"Umbreon."

"Thanks Ruby." Gary said as he continued to hold Umbreon in his lap, stroking his head gently.

"I should be thanking you and Umbreon. You did save my Eevee, or rather, my Vaporeon." I said with a smile. "I'm just glad Umbreon's okay. Maybe you shouldn't battle him for a day or two just to make sure he fully recovers, the shock from the water may still cause him to be ill." I told him, reaching out and tickled Umbreon's chin, making him smile up at me. "If he does then make sure you get him seen by Nurse Joy."

"I will Ruby." Gary assured me as I turned back to Vaporeon with a proud smile. "That's a great looking Vaporeon you got there. Goes to show how well you trained it as an Eevee."

"Yeah, but it looks like we've got a lot more training ahead of us, right Vaporeon? We've got to work on your new moves."

"Vaporeon!" She nodded her head in agreement, shifting closer to rub her head against me. With a sudden thought I dug my hand to the bottom of my bag and shifting things around a little until finally, I found what I was looking for. I pulled out the Mystic Water with a smile and offered it to Vaporeon who sniffed it before jumping up and down with excitement. "Vaporeon Poreon!"

"You like it? That's great, it's for you." I told her as I slipped it around her neck then let it settle against her chest neatly, shortening the cord slightly so that it didn't dangle between her legs but rather sat proudly and neatly. "There. You look beautiful." I said to her and she blushed before leaping into my arms. I giggled as she licked my face, thanking me for her new gift before turning to look at Umbreon.

"Poreon?" She asked softly, padding forwards then nuzzled Umbreon's fur, making him blush and look away.

"Breon." Gary frowned slightly, placing a hand on Umbreon's head then blinked in alarm.

"Umbreon you're burning up! Maybe you're already coming down with something." Umbreon shook his head with a slight whine before turning to gaze at Vaporeon as she lifted her face to the moon, watching the stars serenely and I smiled knowingly.

"I think he should be fine in a few days." I informed Gary with a shrug, standing up. "Come on Vaporeon, we better get back to make sure everything's alright in the town." Vaporeon stood up then bounded over to me, taking one big leap and jumped onto my shoulder as I walked over to Pidgeot and her new added weight made me stumble back with a laugh, momentarily thrown off balance before I regained my stability. "Well, you've certainly gained a little weight, I wasn't ready for that." I said to her with a grin as she beamed back at me.

"Poreon!"

"Ready to go Pidgeot?" I asked and my friend nodded her head and spread her wings.

"Pidgeot!" So I climbed on with Vaporeon nestled in front of me for security as Gary returned to Aerodactyl, Umbreon still wrapped up in my towel. I tossed a smile over to Gary who returned it slightly, watching me almost curiously as I turned my face up to the sky.

"Let's fly!" With a single flap of her wings Pidgeot soared upwards, gaining altitude at impressive rates before she evened out and simply glided, looking back over her shoulder as we flew with the moon gleaming on our backs. I glanced over to Gary and couldn't help but bring out my camera and take a photo or two, admiring how serious yet calm he looked with his Pokémon tucked safely in his arms.

Vaporeon beamed up at me so I shifted her in my grip with a laugh then turned the camera around, taking a photo of the two of us for the first time with her new evolution. So with that we flew back to the power plant where the others gathered outside, hooking Pikachu up to the main power system with him giving it a little kick start just as we landed.

"It worked!" One of the workers cried as he flung open the door. "The electricity is flowing and we're at peak output!" Ash instantly turned around and cheered, smiling proudly down at Pikachu as he gave the last little push before stopping the electricity flow.

"Yeah! I knew my old buddy would come through!"

"Pika? Pika!" Pikachu pulled off his little helmet then leaped up into Ash's arms who danced around as Gary and I came closer, me smiling with Vaporeon at my side and Pidgeot safely back in her Pokéball.

"Ruby! Gary! You're both okay!" Misty said with relief, giving me a smile as she handed the egg back over. "We were so worried. How is Umbreon?" Umbreon lifted his head and nodded to Misty, assuring her he was okay.

"Umbreon!"

"Umbreon is as stubborn as Gary. He pulled through without a problem, after Vaporeon fished him out of the river, that is." Vaporeon beamed up at Misty, whose eyes went all sparkly and wide as she gazed at my new water Pokémon.

"Oh it's so cute! I love it I wanna hug it and hold it and never let go!" She declared, falling down to her knees and began to coddle and fuss over Vaporeon who lavished the attention, dancing around Misty and let Togepi play with her tail, which was now a new favourite distraction for the little baby Pokémon.

"You two really saved the day Ash." Brock said, setting a hand on our friend's shoulder who then stopped celebrating with Pikachu to look at Gary with a friendly expression.

"We wouldn't have had the chance if it wasn't for Gary." He said to our rival, who had an unreadable expression on his face. With that he turned around and made to walk away but Ash continued. "Gary, I owe you."

"Yeah." Gary shrugged before continuing on his way. Umbreon pausing to look at Vaporeon one last time before turning and following after his trainer, but then Gary stopped in his tracks and addressed Ash without turning around. "By the way, you've really improved since I saw you last and you've trained your Pokémon well." Gary complimented and Ash blinked in surprise, unsure of how to answer as Gary looked back with a competitive expression. "Don't be too surprised if the next time we meet I'm the one who challenges you to a match." Ash's mouth dropped slightly in shock.

"You mean you'll…" He trailed off, still processing things in his head and I could practically see those little cogs turning. "I'll be ready for it."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, waving goodbye to Gary who smiled softly and nodded his head in farewell before turning around and walking off down the path with Umbreon at his side.

"Hey, see you around Gary!" Ash called as I stayed with my friends, smiling softly as I held the egg safely in my arms. You can't fail to see how much Gary has changed since starting his Pokémon journey, though I guess the same could be said for both Ash and I too. We've all changed, and will continue to change but hey, that's life for you.


	23. Chapter 23

"Okay Vaporeon, let's try it one more time. Acid Armour!" I called, pointing ahead of me and Vaporeon leaped back into the lake, swimming out a few feet before starting to liquefy and blend in with the water's surroundings. She got about halfway before she suddenly switched back to normal again, unable to complete the process. "That was a good try Vaporeon! We've got really far with this move so you should feel really proud of yourself!" I told her with a smile, cupping my hands around my mouth to make the sound carry out to her across the lake.

"Vaporeon!" She trilled happily before diving down into the water, disappearing from sight before leaping back up again, splashing the water around with her tail before completing a flip back into the lake, making me giggle as she played around then went to join Misty's Pokémon for some fun.

Smiling as I watched Vaporeon I looked down when I felt something tugging on my bottoms to find Jigglypuff stand there, trying to get my attention. "Jigglypuff." She said to me then patted her chest with a hand. "Jiggly Jigglypuff."

"Do you want to do some training next Jigglypuff? Is that what you want?" I asked and she nodded her head with a bright smile of joy.

"Jigglypuff!"

"Okay then, I have an idea. How about we work on your Sing attack? If we can focus its effects on one target then you'll be able to send them to sleep but keep everyone else awake so they can keep on watching you battle or performance. How does that sound?"

"Puff-Puff! Jigglypuff!" She cheered then began to hop away, leaping up onto a boulder then gave a decorative bow, greeting her imaginary audience before lifting her microphone to her mouth.

"Okay Jigglypuff, I want you to really concentrate on me. Aim all of your voice at me and we'll see if anyone else falls asleep." I told her and she nodded her head.

"Jiggly." So she took a deep breath to prepare herself, closing her eyes also to concentrate further then began to sing. I listened and watched, sitting down on the ground and as her voice began to envelop me, I began to feel drowsy. Only thing was, so was everyone else.

Out the corner of my eye I could see Misty and Ash begin to yawn and Brock's stirring began to slow as he began to grow woozy. "Jigglypuff wait a second, I don't think it's working." I said with a yawn, feeling my eyes droop until Jigglypuff stopped singing and opened her eyes.

"Puff?" I got up, shook my head to wake myself then walked over to her as everyone else slowly came around.

"How about we go for a walk?" I suggested to her. "If we train here we might interrupt the others, so let's go find some wild Pokémon to practice on. Does that sound okay?" Jigglypuff thought for a moment, contemplating the suggestion then peered around me, seeing some of the Pokémon were already asleep.

"Jigglypuff." She nodded her head finally, deciding it was a good idea so I stepped back and beamed.

"Come on then! Let's go." I called and raced towards the trees with Jigglypuff bouncing after me, giving a quick shout out to the others to tell them where I was going and left the egg with Charizard and Pidgeot for safety, who were helping to watch over the little ones.

"Okay but don't be too long!" Brock called after us. "Dinner is almost done!"

"You got it Brock!" I yelled over my shoulder before disappearing into the trees with Jigglypuff right behind me, bouncing and chirping all the way. I slowed down once we were in the trees and stuck to the main path. "So Jigglypuff, I know you can use Sing and Double Slap so I think we should start working on some other moves. I checked it out on my Pokédex and apparently you can learn lots of moves of different types." I said to her and she blinked up at me blankly, listening but not really knowing how to answer. "So I was thinking, if we trained together and got you really strong with some secret moves, you could shock just about any opponent out of a battle because you could have an advantage over them because of typing. You're only weak to Poison and Steel, which is awesome."

"Jigglypuff." She nodded her head proudly and I giggled and she lifted her head high.

"So, with that in mind, let's start things off with your Sing. We should probably get that nailed down before we start anything else okay?" Jigglypuff nodded her head again, now looking around to see if there were any Pokémon around to battle.

"Puff? Jigglypuff." Angrily she inflated herself, growling as she stomped over a tree, glared at it then slammed into it with all her weight, which surprisingly did quite a bit of damage as the tree shook violently and a wild Weedle fell out of it.

"Wow, you can use Pound as well. That looks like a pretty tough move." I said to her, still blinking but then shook myself awake as the Weedle glared at us then tried to shoot a String Shot at us. "Okay Jigglypuff, dodge it!" Jigglypuff inflated her body and sprang out of the way, using her lightness to her advantage and rose up into the air before she let go of her breath and dropped down to the ground again. "Great Jigglypuff, how about we try that Double Slap of yours?"

"Jiggly!" The Weedle stared in horror as Jigglypuff leaped forwards then began to slap it several times, keeping up the pace before springing backwards. The Weedle wavered in its place, eyes rolling as it remained a little shaken up by Jigglypuff's attack.

"Nice Jigglypuff, now use Sing! Remember, focus on your opponent and push your sound towards it, pretend you're in a room and you two are the only people in it." I said to her and she looked up at me with those gorgeous big blue eyes of hers. "When you use Sing in a battle, you have to remember that it's not a concert, so you don't need to project your voice so much, got it?"

"Jigglypuff." She nodded her head then turned to face the Weedle with a determined expression, focussing on the Weedle as it shook itself into sense then turned on Jigglypuff with a glare then tried a Growl. Jigglypuff countered with Sing, only this time she didn't use her microphone, it stayed held out away from her mouth as she tried not to use it, though it slowly began to inch towards her mouth.

"Concentrate Jigglypuff, you're doing it!" I encouraged, watching as Weedle began to curl up and close its eyes, falling asleep to Jigglypuff's voice as she continued to sing. I smiled proudly, not feeling at all tired so once Jigglypuff had finished, I laugh and picked her up, lifting her high into the air as I spun. "You did it! See? I knew you could Jigglypuff, you're just totally brilliant!"

"Jigglypuff!" She squealed happily as I hugged her before gently setting her down.

"Let's go try it a couple more times, but first…" I picked up the Weedle and carried it back to the tree, settling it carefully on a branch before turning and heading off down the road with Jigglypuff at my side, focused on some extra training.

When we got back it was timed to the second as Brock had only just finished setting out our dinner. "Hey Ruby, good timing." He said to me as I ran towards them with Jigglypuff. "How did the training go?"

"Really great, Jigglypuff is one dedicated Pokémon, she wouldn't give up until we had nailed a new technique I had just taught her." I explained as I sat down. "Right Jigglypuff?"

"Jigglypuff!" She beamed and nodded her head as Brock brought her some special Pokémon food made just for her type, helping to nourish her effectively.

"Well then, I think you deserve this." He said whilst gently rubbing her head as she squealed happily at the food. It was one of her favourites after all. She never said no to a batch of Brock's own Pokémon food. "Enjoy everyone! Dig in!"

Ash inhaled his food, drawing in the delicious smell before beginning to wolf it down. "Slow down Ash, you'll get stomach ache again." Misty said to him as she sat next to me.

"Can't talk, gotta eat then go train." He answered barely between mouthfuls. I shook my head then took a taste of Brock's soup, instantly smiling.

"This is great Brock! I don't think I want to eat anything but your cooking ever again." I said to him as he sat down.

"Thanks Ruby, I'm glad you like it." He said as Misty thanked him too. I looked around all the Pokémon, making sure they were all eating nicely and was satisfied to see that they were all behaving themselves. They were all scoffing down their food but there were no arguments, so I smiled and carried on with my own dinner. "So Ash, if you're training so hard, maybe you and Ruby should have a battle." Brock suggested and I looked up, my interest peaking.

"A battle?" Ash questioned after he'd swallowed a big gulp of his soup. "That sounds great! What do you think Ruby?"

"I'm just wondering why we hadn't thought of it ages ago. You're on. A one on one match with a Pokémon of your choice. I'm going with Jigglypuff." I said and Jigglypuff lifted her head.

"Puff?" Ash snorted, looking at Jigglypuff's sweet and innocent face before laughing.

"Are you kidding? We'll beat you no problem, right Pikachu? It might not even be much of a battle with that little ball of sweetness." Jigglypuff inflated herself in anger, glaring at Ash heatedly and I slowly began to smirk as she prepared to spring.

"Bad choice of words Ash." I told him just before Jigglypuff sprang at him. Ash got a full taste of Jigglypuff's Double Slap, which made me laugh as Ash was knocked back off his seat and once Jigglypuff had drawn on his face then stalked away, he lay there twitching.

"Wow. That was some Double Slap. I really felt that one." Jigglypuff shot him one last look before turning away and folding her arms.

"Jigglypuff." She grumped so I reached out and picked her up, giggling quietly as I set her in my lap then began to gently run my fingers over her fur to soothe her.

"So Ash, you still think Jigglypuff is a little ball of sweetness?" I asked mockingly as Ash practically crawled back to the table. He pulled himself up and clung on as Misty hid her snicker behind her hand, seeing Ash's dishevelled and rather mussed appearance.

"Okay I get it. Sorry Jigglypuff, I should have known not to judge by appearance." Jigglypuff turned away from him with a proud expression so I reached down and gave her some more food, making her smile and chow down without any further thought.

"So a battle it is. This should be good." Misty said before draining the last of her soup. Once all the food was eaten and the dishes cleaned we waited a while to let our food go down before setting ourselves up for the battle with Brock as the referee.

"This one on one battle is between Ash Ketchum and Ruby Bates, will both trainers please select their Pokémon." I nodded my head and looked at Jigglypuff's Pokéball with a knowing smile.

"Give it all you got Jigglypuff, this is your moment, so I choose you!" Jigglypuff came out with a perfect summersault, inflating her body to float daintily to the ground before striking a pose. A natural star if you ask me.

"Okay, if that's how you want to do it, then I choose Chikorita!" Hmm, good thinking Ash. Chikorita is both strong and just as spunky as Jigglypuff. This should lead to quite an awesome battle.

"Let the battle begin!" Brock called and Ash instantly struck with the first move.

"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf on Jigglypuff!"

"Chika!" Chikorita beamed then flicked her leaf around, shooting a hoard of leaves towards us but Jigglypuff stood her ground, unafraid of taking the hit.

"Jigglypuff, use Double Slap on those leaves and then on Chikorita!" I called, pointing ahead of me and Jigglypuff instantly bounced forwards. She knocked aside every leaf that shot her way then began on Chikorita, who quickly dodged out of the way.

"Chikorita use Vine Whip on Jigglypuff, don't let it get to you!" Ash quickly directed and Chikorita sprung back around, shooting out her vines and wrapped up Jigglypuff who blinked in surprise as she was now unable to move.

"Jiggly?"

"Now throw it!" Ash smirked, shooting me a confident look but I was already one step ahead of him.

"Jigglypuff, inflate your body to absorb the hit then use Sing!" Ash gaped as Jigglypuff inflated her body just as Chikorita let her go and she bounced merrily on the ground, smiling happily as she sprang back on her feet then began to sing.

"No! Chikorita don't listen, use Tackle!" Ash yelled, clamping his hands down on his ears to keep from falling asleep. Jigglypuff closed her eyes and began to sing, keeping her microphone away from her mouth as we practiced whilst Chikorita powered down towards her, eyes focused on their target.

Slowly though, Chikorita began to slow down. Her eyes drooped and she stumbled once or twice until finally, she stopped in her tracks and began to murmur softly as Jigglypuff continued to sing. "Chikorita don't fall asleep! Try and stay awake!" Ash tried to encourage but Jigglypuff's voice was just too soothing.

Chikorita lay down on the ground and fell asleep, snoozing away as Jigglypuff finished her song. "Great job Jigglypuff, now use Pound!" Jigglypuff sprang onto Chikorita and pounded against her as Chikorita continued to sleep, deaf and senseless to the world around her.

"Wake up! Chikorita please wake up!" Ash begged as Jigglypuff continued to use Pound. Suddenly Chikorita blinked herself awake then gasped.

"Chika!" With a firm whip of her leaf she tossed Jigglypuff back, making her cry out in surprise and from the damage she had sustained.

"Puff!"

"Alright! Nice work Chikorita, now use Razor Leaf!" Ash called and Chikorita instantly sent out her attack as Jigglypuff remained on the ground, shaking slightly from the shock of the sudden strike.

"Jigglypuff please get up!" I pleaded and she opened her eyes, seeing the Razor Leaf shooting towards her.

"Jigglypuff!" The leaves struck and Jigglypuff took even more damage but this time as she was flung back, she flipped and landed on her feet, growling as she glared at Chikorita who glared back just as competitively, the two of them now totally in the zone.

"That's great Jigglypuff, nice moves." I said to her then looked up at Chikorita, trying to plan the next move. Chikorita was too fast for Jigglypuff to go after and she had her Vine Whip as a long distanced attack. The only way we could make a final blow is by getting in close, however I doubt Ash would let us get that far with us on the offence, so I need him to get Chikorita to come to us.

"Okay Jigglypuff, use Sing again!" I decided and she instantly began to sing.

"Quick Chikorita, use Vine Whip!"

"Dodge it but continue to use Sing!" I countered and Jigglypuff opened her eyes and danced out of the way of the Vine Whip, jumping left and right without any attack making a single hit as she continued to sing.

"Argh! It's not working! Okay Chikorita, use Tackle and fast!" Chikorita shook her head to wake herself up a little then charged for Jigglypuff, who watched but didn't move, waiting for my say. Good, this is exactly what I wanted.

"Alright Jigglypuff, use Pound!" Everyone watched as Jigglypuff stopped singing and drew back an arm, her eyes narrowing in determined concentration with a little smirk sitting on her face whilst Chikorita continued to charge forwards, still determined to land a hit but with the extra speed and force, Jigglypuff's blow only came that much harder and Chikorita was flung high up into the air.

"Chika!" She landed heavily on the ground, dust spraying everywhere as Ash stared.

"Chikorita!" He ran to her and picked her up, cradling Chikorita in his arms as Pikachu bounded over to make sure everything was okay. "Chikorita, are you okay?" He asked and Chikorita mumbled slightly.

"Chikorita is unable to battle. The victory goes to Ruby and her Jigglypuff." I cheered and leaped into the air with a victorious punch as Jigglypuff copied me, jumping up and lifting an arm before I ran over to her and swept her off the ground, dancing around with a laugh.

"You were great Jigglypuff! I knew you would be, you're totally awesome."

"Jigglypuff Puff!" She agreed, kicking her legs happily before I turned and walked over to Ash and Chikorita.

"Hey Ash, is Chikorita okay?" He nodded his head, turning a smile up to me.

"Chikorita just needs some rest. That was a pretty tough blow you hit us with Jigglypuff, I'm impressed. You're a lot stronger and tougher than you look." Jigglypuff nodded her head proudly so I gave her a little squeeze as Brock and Misty approached us.

"You two have really come far, it seems all your training has paid off." Brock said to us with a nod to Jigglypuff. "I thought you'd have trouble at first, seeing as Jigglypuff likes to usually do its own thing but you seem to have that under control."

"Yup. Jigglypuff and I make a great duo, we're both as stubborn as each other!" I beamed, giving her another hug as Misty smiled adoringly at Jigglypuff.

"Not only is Jigglypuff a great battler but it's so cute too!" Pleased with Misty's compliments Jigglypuff returned the smile then leaped out of my arms to go over to Ash, whereby she gave him a hard stare then began to lecture him.

"Jiggly Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff Puff, Jigglypuff!" She told him firmly before leaping up into his arms then hugged him, giggling to herself as Ash started in surprise, unsure of what to do.

"Uh…"

"She's trying to tell you she forgives you for all your mean comments." I told him with a laugh, walking over to gently pull her off him before the hug could turn into a Pound. "But don't say anything like it again genius or I won't be able to save you."

"Right. Thanks Ruby." He said before turning to look at the sky. "Well, I'm tired after that awesome battle, so I'm going to get some sleep." He announced and I agreed it was a good idea. Today had been a long day and my legs were starting to ache. I returned Jigglypuff to her Pokéball with a final word of praise for her great work.

"The campfire is lit and all the Pokémon are resting, so I think we should all get some sleep." Misty agreed, walking with Togepi over to the fire then rolled out her sleeping bag. "Goodnight guys! See you in the morning." She called as I got my own sleeping bag out as well, taking off my hat and jacket as well as my shoes then cuddled the egg to me, taking it out of the incubator to share my own warmth with it, giving it a smile then snuggled it close.

"Night everyone, sleep well." So with the stars beginning to appear I gazed up at them until I was asleep, excited for the upcoming gym battle. I couldn't wait for the next challenge and my next gym badge. They might as well just write my name on it.


	24. Chapter 24

In the morning we set out early because we knew Ecruteak City wasn't too far away. If we hurried we could get there early morning for our gym battles. So we packed up camp, ate a large breakfast then head out on the road again with Ash talking all the while about how excited he was for his next battle, wondering what Pokémon he should use.

"What about you Ruby? What Pokémon are you using?" I thought for a moment.

"Well, I checked the guide book and it says that the gym leader here uses ghost type Pokémon, so I thought that my best chance against them would be Pokémon that are normal type. So that means I'll probably use Jigglypuff, Pidgeot and I'm not too sure about my third. I'm thinking maybe Vaporeon as it'll be good to test out her new skills in battle." I explained but Ash frowned.

"I thought Pidgeot was a flying type?" He asked so I sighed.

"She is, genius, but she's a mixed typing class. She's flying and normal, which means ghost type moves should have no effect on her." I explained. "And the same goes for Jigglypuff."

"Oh I get it. So that means you'll have a huge advantage over the gym leader with just two Pokémon, both of which are really strong." Misty said and I nodded my head. "That's good thinking Ruby, you shouldn't have too much trouble with your battle if you use that strategy."

"Thanks Misty. I thought it was a good idea." I agreed with a smile. Suddenly I looked up and found myself standing in view of a massive city, nestled neatly within a forest with the main road heading straight down towards it.

"We're finally here." Ash said with a tone of slight relief. I don't think my feet would have managed much further either, at least now we're at Ecruteek City and can relax a little.

"I can't believe it!" Misty awed over the city. Just imagine, proper beds, hot bath, real central heating…let's go already!

"That's Tin Tower!" Brock pointed towards a tall tower in the distance, surrounded by trees but also looking a little lonely, a solitary figure among much smaller subjects. "It's a famous Ecruteek City landmark. The Ecruteek gym should be pretty close by there." Brock theorised so Ash and I both smiled with focused expressions.

"Cool!" Ash looked back at Pikachu, who sat on his shoulder.

"Let's go Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Together we ran forwards, all too eager to get both of our badges by the end of the day. We entered the town then slowed our hasty pace so that Brock and Misty could catch up, seeing as we may have charged on ahead just a little too far.

"Wow, this place looks amazing." I said as I looked around me, taking in the old looking houses and buildings, all neatly arranged so that the streets were wide. "Like something out of a storybook."

"Yeah, it's pretty neat." Ash agreed as Pikachu sprang from his shoulder and jumped onto mine, pointing upwards.

"Pika Pikachu!" He called and we both followed where he was pointing to see several kites flying in the wind, one a Butterfree, another a Gyarados and the last a Haunter. "Pika…"

"You're right Pikachu, they look almost like the real thing." I agreed with a smile, watching them fly high in the wind as Brock and Misty caught up with us. "Hey guys. So which way are we going?" I asked as Brock looked down into the guide book.

"According to this it's right at the next street." He said.

"Okay then, let's go!" Ash cheered but I grabbed the back of his jacket as he began running, anchoring him in place as his feet continued to move fruitlessly.

"Hold it genius, let's wait for Brock and Misty this time." I suggested. "If you use up all your energy then you won't have enough left for your battle, so take it easy." He stopped running, blinking as if he'd just had an epiphany.

"You're right. I gotta conserve my strength." He agreed so this time, we set off at a much more regular pace. We took our time and looked around all the old fashioned buildings, glanced over a few stalls and stopped to take a deep breath outside the bakery before moving on again.

"This place is a lot older than I thought it'd be." Misty mused as we continued on our way.

"The book says Ecruteek City is steeped in history and tradition-ARGH!" We all cried out at once as an out of control Flamethrower appeared in front of us, almost burning my hair as the heat got a little too close for comfort.

"I'm just the guy you're looking for." Someone said as the flames stopped and we looked up to see a weirdly dressed man walking towards us with shades on his eyes. He was dressed up in a strange pink and blue clown costume and his cone hat stood bolt upright on his head.

"Who're you?" Misty asked in bewilderment, casting an eye over his dress up before shooting me a confused glance which I returned.

"I'm Nin Fernando, fire breathing clown and street performer extraordinaire." With that he blasted another shot of flames down at our feet, making us all leap back with a startled yell. That's just crazy? I wonder how he does it, because I seriously doubted it was real. "I surmised that you youths are visitors to our humble town." He told us and Ash blinked, impressed.

"How could you tell that?" I smacked him on the head.

"Because we look like we've been travelling for weeks on the road, rely on a good old guidebook and he's probably never seen us before in his life in this city. That enough clues for ya?" I questioned as Ash rubbed the back of his head where I'd hit him.

"No need to keep on hitting me, you could hurt my brain you know." He said with a slight pout which only made me smirk.

"I don't worry too much about damage, there's not much left up there anyway to be concerned about." He growled at me, trying to think of a comeback but then the clown breathed fire over our heads, making us quickly duck down as he demanded our attention again.

"Hey! Cool it with the fire won't you?" Misty growled dangerously at the guy who merely leaned forwards and began to whisper.

"Let me show you something you ain't going to find in no guidebook." He told us before producing two fancy looking metal rods. Ooh…shiny. "It's the last one I got left." I arched an eyebrow.

"And I'm beginning to _lose_ my patience. We're not interested in buying crooked junk. We've got important things to do." I answered back as I stood up but Ash leaned forwards with interest.

"What is that thing?"

"This here's a treasure detector. Ecruteek is an ancient city and it's got all kinds of historical junk buried subcutaneously." I hope he knew what that word meant, otherwise I was worried. He could have used something far better without it sounding so disgusting and bringing up nasty mental images. "All you gotta do is grab these rods and walk around until you hear the big beep-beep-beep! Which means you're standing directly over something that's valuable!" Yeah, and I have a tail like Pikachu's.

"Really?" Misty asked, starting to believe this guy.

"Cross my heart and hope to…hey…why don't you buy 'em and try them out?" He suggested but for once, Ash had the right idea and did the smart thing.

"This sounds like a rip off to me." He noted as he walked off, no longer interested in the rods. Way to go Ash! Misty sighed then followed after him.

"Let's get to the gym."

"The gym?" The clown queried before laughing aloud. "The gym! That's what I forgot! The gym is the perfect place to use the treasure detector, it's built on the oldest part in the whole city!" I walked off as well, leaving Brock behind as I followed after the others but after a moment I realised he hadn't followed. "How about a demonstration?" The clown suggested but Brock merely smiled.

"Sure but only if you can find me a girlfriend." Misty walked back and grabbed Brock's ear, shooting him a look as she then dragged him away.

"He's a clown, not a magician!"

"Ah! The ear!" He yelped as she marched him away. "Take it easy it's attached to my head!" Once she let go Misty continued to march with a glare, stomping her way to the gym as she growled under her breath.

"Stupid salesman trying to target unsuspecting kids like us. It's not fair."

"Wow. Misty sure didn't like that guy trying to cheat us." Ash mused as we followed a safe distance behind Misty. Hey, when Misty is in a grump, it means she's likely to lash out or explode at any moment, so it is wiser and safer to just let her blow over.

"Well guys." Brock announced suddenly and I looked around. "This is the Ecruteek City gym!" He proclaimed and I blinked, making a slight face as I looked at the slightly worn down building.

"It is?" Ash questioned, slightly disbelieving.

"It sure looks different to all the other gyms we've been to." Misty noted as we looked around it carefully. The tower inside was burned down and it didn't look like anyone was home. Hey, wait a second, we'd seen the tower from the hill and it wasn't burned down to a cinder like this. What's going on? "Are you sure that's the gym?" Misty asked but Brock nodded his head.

"According to the guidebook it is."

"Well, then let's go check it out." Ash said before leading the way but I hung back, unsure about going inside.

"I'm not sure, it doesn't look too safe." I said and the others stopped to look back at me.

"Come on Ruby, you're not scared are you?" I glared at Ash in answer, stalking over then smacked him on the back of the head, making him yelp and collapse to the floor.

"I am not scared! I'm just concerned for my wellbeing!" I told him haughtily as I folded my arms and turned my back to him. "Can't you see how burned out that building is? It could collapse on top of us at any moment and no one would know about it because it looks like it's been abandoned for a long time. I vote we go find somewhere to eat. Pizza anyone?" I suggested hopefully but Ash shook his head as he got back to his feet.

"No way. If this is the gym then I'm going inside and getting myself a gym badge! You can stay out here if you want. _Alone_." He emphasised and instantly I froze in place, glancing around at the spooky trees as Ash ran on inside, Misty and Brock calling out for him to wait and think for a moment.

"Hey, don't leave me out here by myself!" I yelped and quickly ran after them, hugging my egg to me. It looked worse on the inside and as far as I could tell, there was no one else around for a gym battle. "It's been totally barbequed, what happened here?" I wondered as I turned and looked at my surroundings.

"Maybe it happened recently." Misty suggested but Brock went over to one of the wooden beam pillars with a thoughtful expression, looking at the burn marks before shaking his head.

"No, whatever happened here happened a long time ago. These scorch marks look old." Suddenly Pikachu gasped, his head snapping around to look at something and I jumped in my place at his sudden fright.

"Pikachu!"

"What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked his buddy but just then, a fire started before us, consuming the last of the cinders and turning them to soot as the flames all danced before us bright and clear. "Agh! What is that? Where'd it come from?" But I was already hightailing it out of there, grabbing Ash on the way since he just stood there.

"Run now questions later. Let's move it!" We raced out of the room and just as we entered the corridor more fire sprung up from the ground and I yelled, turning the other way to run in the opposite direction of the flames. They burst up in front, cutting us off and we stopped short.

"It's spreading fast!"

"This way!" This time Ash grabbed me and pulled me through a door which so far hadn't been touched by the fire but the moment he took a step in the dark, he fell down with a yell and we all tumbled with him, grunting and yelling as we hit each step and landed in a heap at the bottom.

I groaned, feeling several bodies lying on top of me as I was crushed into the cold ground. "Great. Old habits just never die." I winced as they all got up off of me. The egg had landed safely on the ground in front of me which Pikachu instantly leaped forwards to retrieve.

"Sorry about that Ruby, are you okay?" Brock asked as he helped me stand and Pikachu rolled the incubator and the egg back over to me.

"Pika Pika." He said as I picked it up, reaching out to tickle his belly and he instantly squealed happily.

"I'm fine, and thank you Pikachu." I assured him then looked around us. "Well, it looks like we've outrun the fire." Without warning it sprang up around us, growing bigger by the second and I yelped in alarm, veering back away from it. "Spoke too soon!"

"It's everywhere! You and your big mouth Ruby!" Ash yelled at me so I smacked him on his head.

"Quiet and get your water Pokémon!" I snapped back at him. "We'll get out using their Water Gun." Thank goodness I had Vaporeon now. "Okay Vaporeon, we need your help so come on out!"

"Totodile!"

"Staryu!" Ash and Misty called as our Pokémon all appeared, standing in line before we all chorused together. "Put out that fire!" All three Pokémon took a deep breath then shot their Water Gun attack at the flames, dousing them completely but it didn't seem to have any effect at all, the flames only seemed to grow bigger!

"It's not doing anything." Misty gasped but Ash just clenched his jaw in determination.

"Get closer Totodile!" Totodile walked over to a cluster of flames and spouted a closer range attack only with the same result, however Totodile then stopped and blinked, stepping even closer to the flames then put his hands in. "Totodile look out!" Ash tried to warn but the little Pokémon merely leaped into the fire then…began to dance in it. Huh?

"Vaporeon, are the flames even hot?" I asked her, walking over and together we put a hand and a tail into the fire only to find it perfectly cool. Oh, so that's why we haven't been overheating. "Guys, the flames aren't even warm, it's like touching air." I said in confusion but then Misty gasped.

"So this is all just an illusion?" That makes sense, otherwise I'm pretty sure we'd be barbeque kebabs by now.

"This is a job for Noctowl." Ash announced with a smirk. "Go Noctowl!" Noctowl appeared in the air, flapping his wings as sparkles danced off his feathers. "Noctowl use your Foresight." Ash directed and Noctowl instantly flew around the room with glowing eyes, shining a bright beam on the fire to reveal a hoard of Gastly surrounding us. "Look guys, Gastly!"

"They're the ones creating the illusion!" Brock realised as I glared at them then shook my fist.

"You guys could have really hurt us with your dirty tricks, that's not nice!" Suddenly they began to shoot through the air and flew dangerously close to us, almost as if they were trying to push us away.

"What are they doing?" Misty yelped, leaping to the side to avoid one getting too close.

"I don't know but I think they want us to get out of here!" Brock answered and I gave a wry laugh.

"That's fine with me!" I replied as a Gastly close to me shot a dark beam down at my feet, forcing me to leap back but then Vaporeon leaped out in front of me, glaring up at the Gastly as she stood to protect me.

"Poreon! Va….poreon!" She cried then began to shoot a multitude of fast hitting bubbles up at the Gastly, hitting them all in the face and knocked them back as they got too close.

"Alright Vaporeon! You nailed that Bubblebeam!" I cheered her as she leaped forwards and attacked again as the Gastly got too close. Finally the Gastly began to retreat, fading out of sight into the walls and left us alone. I turned to Vaporeon who looked around me with a hopeful smile. "Vaporeon, you rule." I said to her as I knelt down and let her leap into my arms though she was careful of the egg. "You saved the day!"

"At least they've gone now." Ash said but then Misty shrieked.

"Argh! I wouldn't be too sure, look!" We all turned to see the Gastly coming back, only this time with Haunter at their side as well, all of them looking pretty angry and miffed that we'd invaded their home. "Haunter…" Misty gulped as she took a step back.

"They just got reinforcements. Pikachu, use your Thundershock!" Ash called, trying to warn off the ghost Pokémon but as Pikachu sent the attack out they disappeared from sight, appearing and reappearing at their leisure but each time in a different place. "It's no use!"

"They've got us surrounded." Misty worried, clutching Togepi close to her.

"Ruby, try and talk to them!" Brock said to me. "Maybe if you can connect with at least one of them, they'll listen to us!" I nodded my head as Vaporeon stood between my legs, head lowered and ready to fight.

"Got it." I nodded my head then put the egg down for Vaporeon to watch over. I took a deep breath and punched my fists together in front of me, clearing my mind of all thoughts as I then pushed out my aura. Ever since that run in with Rhodri, I'd learned what it was I'm able to use and see. Aura. I hadn't told the professor that I knew, however I had been trying to harness it recently, though I hadn't had much luck. It seems to be an on the whim thing.

Suddenly I felt anger, letting me know instantly that I was connecting with some of the Gastly and Haunter, if not all of them. They were angry. Very angry. "They do not want us here." I began haltingly, struggling to be of two minds, half conscious and half unconscious. It was difficult to find the middle ground but somehow I was managing at the moment. "They think we are here to hurt them, invade their home." I explained and the others all blinked. "They are angry that we have disturbed them."

"I get it now. Since this place is abandoned, they've made it their home." Brock said as I tried to quell the anger and replace it with peace. In my mind I began to use my aura to carry the waves, helping to relax the ghost Pokémon so that they were able to listen.

 _We aren't here to hurt you. We didn't know that this place was your home and we are sorry for trespassing. Please do not be angry, it is just a mistake._ I tried to tell them, but some were too angry to listen, thinking that I was just lying to get away without punishment so I took a deeper breath then exhaled slowly. _My name is Ruby and I promise not to hurt any of you now that I know what it is you want. I am sorry my Vaporeon attacked but she thought I was in danger. She was only protecting me._

This seemed to ease them a little, slowly beginning to think things through. "What's happening now Ruby?" Ash asked me but then saw that I was beginning to tremble and grit my teeth, my mind beginning to ache at the pressure of communing with so many Pokémon at once. "Ruby!"

"Ruby you have to stop now, before you get hurt!" Brock ordered, trying to shake me out of it. With a gasp I forced the connection to shatter, crying out in alarm before collapsing however good old Brock was there to catch me, lowering down to the floor as I shivered from the cold, though I was sweating buckets. "Ruby, you're burning up. I shouldn't have asked you to try something so risky." He said to me gently as Misty and Ash both crowded around.

"Is Ruby going to be okay?" Ash asked as Vaporeon climbed up then rested her head on me, whimpering with worry as I continued to shake. My heart powered forwards, hammering in my chest as I suddenly felt sick to the stomach, the after effect of being linked to so many auras and trying to overcome such a powerful emotion having taken its toll on me.

"Guys look! It's a Gengar!" Misty suddenly cried and I looked to see the Pokémon watching us with bright red eyes and a skin crawling grin. Ash instantly leaped out in front of us with Pikachu, standing right in front of Brock and I to shield us.

"Quick Pikachu, use your Thunder…"

"Stop." Someone commanded and I groaned slightly as Brock pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around me, but then looked up to the man who stood at the top of the stairs. He was young, probably not much older than Brock and he wore a blue headband in his sandy blond hair with a matching shirt. The Gastly and Haunter instantly shot over to him, looking up as the Gengar followed. "Please understand, these Pokémon are not trying to harm you. They're only trying to defend themselves against _your_ intrusion." I gave a weak roll of my eyes.

"D-didn't…I j-j-just say so?" I chattered, still shivering from the cold and the drained sensation fell over my body again as Brock continued to hold me in his arms, trying to nurse me as Vaporeon stood guard, glaring up at the ghost Pokémon.

"Who are you?" Ash demanded hotly but in answer, the guy flung out a hand and all the ghost Pokémon instantly disappeared. All save for the Gengar who stood at the bottom of the stairs as the newcomer descended them.

"My name is Morty. I'm the Ecruteak gym leader." He informed and I just about died on the spot. Oh great, that's just perfect. He's the gym leader, and I'm wrapped up like a Metapod in its cocoon because I'd got too ahead of myself. "I see your friend doesn't look too well." In answer I began to struggle to my feet, making Brock leap to his feet with a worried sound.

"Take it easy, you overdid it this time." I shook my head, managing to find my balance.

"I'm fine." I told him, clenching one fist then pointed at Morty as I now held my egg in the other. "I'm Ruby Bates and I'm here to challenge you to a gym match, and so is my friend Ash Ketchum." I declared, keeping the shakiness out of my voice but then my knees buckled and Brock had to sit me down again.

"Just rest a bit, let the shock wear off." I nodded my head with a sigh. Doesn't look like there's much else I can do.

"I'll be glad to battle you when you're well enough, Ruby, but this isn't the place or time." Misty and Ash looked around them, taking in all the destruction before she looked at Morty.

"What is this place?" She asked him and I saw him lower his head in sadness.

"Once it was a place of brightness and hope, but now it's a place of darkness. That's why so many ghost Pokémon have come to live here." He explained to us all.

"So this is their home. You were right Ruby." Misty said to me and I smiled.

"I'm always right. I'm Ruby." I replied with a shrug as Vaporeon settled in my lap and nuzzled against me as Brock put the blanket back around me.

"Maybe we should get you to a hospital. You seem a little feverish." Brock suggested to me but I shook my head.

"Nah, I'll be fine. All I need is a good gym battle to set me back to my old self." I tried but for some reason, Brock didn't buy it.

"You're shivering but you're starting to burn up. I don't like it." He told me but I brushed it off. Thankfully, Ash came to my rescue when he noticed a plaque with a picture of a Pokémon carved into its surface hanging on the wall.

"Argh! What is this?!" He demanded, running over to it to get a closer look so I got up and followed, smiling at Vaporeon as she nudged into my legs to help keep me stable. When I reached the carving I saw a large bird Pokémon with a large, many feathered tail, long neck and distinctive features.

"That's a Ho-oh, a legendary Pokémon." Morty explained as Ash stared up at it.

"It may be legendary, but I saw one." He declared and I blinked at him.

"You mean this is the bird you saw? On your first day as a Pokémon trainer?" I blinked. Ash had told me all about it and I believed him, because Ash was many things but a liar was definitely not one of them, however Morty didn't seem to agree with me.

"I doubt it. You must have seen some other Pokémon." We both whirled around and glared at Morty as he looked down at us with a condescending expression. Urgh I hate it when people treat us like kids!

"I know what I saw! Why'd you say it must be some other Pokémon?" Ash demanded to know as Morty wore the same expression.

"Because, Ho-oh vanished from the world a long time ago Ash. They haven't been seen for three centuries." Ash blinked in surprise. "There's another building called the Tin Tower which is just a short distance away from where we are now."

"We know about it, we saw it on the way over here." Brock said as Vaporeon tried to urge me to sit down, tugging on my trousers so I sighed and complied, letting her fuss over me as I smiled to her but listened to the conversation.

"That tower is actually a copy. This is the original Tin Tower." Morty revealed and my mouth dropped open slightly. So this had been the original Tin Tower? That explains a little I guess.

"What happened to this tower?" Ash asked so Morty continued to explain.

"It was built to promote understanding between humans and Pokémon, and my ancestors protected it for generations. Over the decades, the Tin Tower became known as a special place for another reason. It was the only place on earth where Ho-oh, the legendary Pokémon, made contact with humans. Ho-oh's visits were a sign of peace, but it would only appear to a chosen few. Only to those guarding the tower." Morty told us and I tried to imagine meeting a real Ho-oh, but was unable to really comprehend how amazing it would be. It would be the greatest honour to meet such a legendary Pokémon.

"But then one day, invaders came who sought to use the Ho-oh's power for evil. In the ensuing battle the Tin Tower was set afire. The Ho-oh fled and ceased to make contact with humans, and it has never returned." I could tell how much this story meant to Morty by how the emotion expressed itself through his words. It was sad to think that humans were still screwing up three hundred years ago like they are now. "Some wanted to rebuild the tower, but my ancestors insisted that it be left as a witness for future generations of man's brutality. But they also decided to build a new Tin Tower. Their hope was that the Ho-oh might return to a new place of peace. So far, these hopes have been in vain. We've waited so long that some people say that Ho-oh is a legend that never really existed." That set off Ash's spark.

"But I know I saw it! I know I did!"

"I'm sorry Ash, but it's impossible." Feeling my own spark crackle I stood up, stepping in front of Morty and jabbed my finger into his chest.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I do know Ash and he is not a liar, I've never heard him lie all the time I've travelled with him, so if he says he saw a Ho-oh then that means he saw a Ho-oh. It doesn't matter that everyone else may say they don't exist, or that they can't be back just because they haven't seen them and you can't either! Even if you haven't seen a Ho-oh with your own eyes, doesn't mean you should give up believing that one day they will return to the tower, or maybe they'll just show themselves to people they _choose_ to let see them, because that way no one will try and hurt them again. You got it, Bucky?" Morty stepped back in surprise, a little overwhelmed.

"Well…yes. But my name is Morty." I sighed and shook my head.

"It was a play on words….never mind. Can we just get out of here please? I'm freezing and could really do with some hot cocoa."

"You need a doctor Ruby. I'm worried you might have made yourself ill." Brock said to me but I was already marching towards the stairs.

"I'm fine, really!" I promised with a smile. "There's no need to…woah!" I yelled, catching my foot on the large blanket and tripped, succeeding only in falling backwards and was crash landing for the ground seeing as I had no hands free to regain my balance.

"Hold on!" Morty suddenly sprang forwards and managed to catch me, helping to steady me as I blinked then looked away quickly with a blush.

"Well this is embarrassing. Maybe you should have just let the floor swallow me." He gave a soft chuckle, picking up the blanket then set it a little neater on my shoulders.

"Come on, I'll show you guys the way out, then we'll get you some help." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder then began to help me back up the stairs, however I heard Ash mutter under his breath.

"It'll take a lot of help to ever set that one to normal."

"I heard that Ash Ketchum! You wait till we get out of here, I'll show you clinically insane!" And that's where Brock cut in.

"Alright calm down. Let's just get out into the sun then see how you are Ruby. If you need to go to the hospital then that's where we'll go, your gym battle will have to wait." Shock and horror struck my heart.

"No! I have to battle! No fair Brock!" But he wouldn't change his mind, so I focused on just simply gaining back my ability to walk by myself. The drained and heavy sensation in my limbs seemed to have cleared up a lot and I didn't feel sick anymore, though I was cold.

When we got outside Brock instantly checked my temperature. Frowning in thought as I gave a hopeful smile. "Gym battle?" I asked but he shook his head.

"No." Darn it! "Your temperature is still a little high and you look exhausted. I think you should get some rest at the Pokémon Centre and then battle tomorrow if you're feeling better." Hmm…maybe Brock has a point. If I sleep now, I can rest up and have an awesome battle tomorrow. Sighing in defeat I nodded my head.

"Okay. I'll go get some rest." I agreed but then turned to Ash. "You have a great battle Ash, I know you'll do great." I said to him and he nodded his head.

"I will, I'll make sure to battle extra hard for you. I'll make Morty feel like he's battling twice what he normally does." Nodding my head with a smile I turned and began to walk away, Vaporeon walking at my side and Brock on my other.

"I'll come back and watch your battle once I've made sure Ruby's alright." Brock called over his shoulder to Ash who laughed and waved.

"Make sure she doesn't walk into the bedpost again!"

"Ketchum! You better watch it!" I yelled back but he was already running and laughing away towards the other Tin Tower and to his next gym battle. Oh well, I'll get him later.


	25. Chapter 25

Waking with a groan I blinked, taking a deep breath to find Vaporeon curled up beside me, her tail fanned over her face to block out the sunlight as I slowly came to, sensing someone watching me. Rubbing my eyes I sat up slowly as not to disturb Vaporeon then looked to my left to see Brock, Ash and Ruby standing there, already dressed and ready to go.

"Morning sleepyhead." Misty said brightly with a smile. "How do you feel?"

"A lot better actually." I admitted, stretching up to loosen my muscles. "Good call Brock."

"Not a problem. If you're up for it, Morty says he'll be waiting for you in the gym for a battle." That's when I turned to Ash, who had a sly smirk on his face, his arms folded across his chest with Pikachu on his shoulder. No need to ask, he won.

"You got your badge, didn't you?" I asked with a smile and in answer he whipped open his jacket and showed me his fourth badge.

"Feast your eyes on the Fog Badge!" He proclaimed with a laugh. "It was a tough battle, it was pretty tight but still, it was totally cool!" I chuckled, admiring the newest badge in Ash's collection. It resembled a wispy purple ghost with narrow slits for eyes.

"That's great Ash, I knew you could do it." I said, swinging my legs around to place them on the floor as Vaporeon lifted her head.

"Poreon?"

"Hey there sleepyhead, how do you feel about having a gym match today?" I asked and in answer, Vaporeon leaped to her feet and began to dance on the bed, jumping up and down so I laughed, standing up with another stretch then pulled my hair back into a ponytail, not bothering to brush it, stuck my hat on my head then picked up my egg to signal I was ready. "Alright then, let's get some breakfast then go!"

"Yeah!" Ash cheered at the word breakfast before flinging open the door and racing down to the cafeteria to get some food. We ate pancakes and syrup, one of my favourite breakfasts then head out to the gym as Ash told me all about his battle and how close it had been, but thanks to Noctowl everything had turned out just fine and I was really glad for him.

"That's great Ash, I'm glad you won but now it's my turn." I said with a determined expression. "And no matter how strong his Gengar may be, I know my Pokémon will help me win this next badge, because I've trained just as hard as any gym leader to help them be strong and tough, so we'll be just fine."

"That's a great way of thinking." Ash agreed. "It'll help you focus in the match. Huh?" We stopped in front of the gym to find someone already there waiting for us.

"Hello there. Welcome to Ecruteak City Gym, may I help you?" A man asked politely with a bow so I stepped forwards and bowed back.

"My name is Ruby Bates from Pallet Town, and I'm here to challenge the gym leader to a battle for a Fog Badge." I told him and he nodded his head.

"I see. In that case, please follow me." He told us then led us into the gym where I instantly saw Morty with his Gengar, a hoard of Gastly and a group of kids all neatly lined up at the wall, kneeling down and listening to his lesson with great interest. "Uh, excuse me sir, a trainer has arrived to challenge you." Our guide informed, interrupting Morty's talk to bring his attention to us so I gave a smile.

"Morning!"

"Hello there Ruby, I was hoping you'd show up today. How are you feeling?" I gave a determined smile then pointed to him.

"Like I could beat you in a gym match." I replied and he nodded his head, obviously satisfied with my match but then I looked around. "Uh…were you teaching?"

"We could always come back later?" Misty offered as Brock looked to the kids a little sheepishly.

"Maybe we're interrupting something." But Morty didn't seem to mind.

"Oh I was just lecturing my students about the ghost Pokémon." He explained so I exhaled with relief. Maybe we should come back later, I know I'd hate for someone to barge in and interrupt a lesson when all I wanted to do was study. "Teaching is another part of a gym leader's job. Thanks for helping out guys but I think that's all for now." Morty said to the Gastly and they all disappeared with an eerie, echoing voice. "Gengar, you take a break too. I have a feeling this will be an intense battle." Morty said and returned his Gengar to its Pokéball before Morty walked over to me, giving a little smile before turning to his students. "Class, this is Ruby Bates from Pallet Town, and he'll be challenging our gym today." They all stood up in unison, watching us as Morty then turned to me. "I'd like them to observe our battle, Ruby, is that alright with you?"

"Please Miss Bates?" The little kids all pleaded with a bow, all moving and speaking at the same time. Okay, that's just a _little_ bit creepy. Morty must have taught them excellent manners in his fist lesson.

"Well Ruby? What do you say?" Morty asked so I nodded my head with a smile.

"Of course, I'd love them to stay. The more the merrier." I told him then looked to the others. "Right guys?"

"Absolutely. Shall we get this battle started? I can't wait to see how this one turns out." Brock said so we all went to our places, though I left the egg with Brock so that I could concentrate only on the battle. I stood opposite Morty in my own box, the battlefield laying between us and I placed a hand on my hip with one corner of my mouth turned upwards. If nothing else, this battle will be lots of fun, and that's important too.

"This is an official Ecruteak City gym match. The battler is challenging for a Fog Badge. The gym leader and the challenger will use three Pokémon each and the match ends when all three Pokémon of either opponent are unable to continue battling. The challenger will attack first and will be permitted to make substitutions during the match. The gym leader may not. Let the match begin!" The ref called and I took a deep breath before choosing my first Pokémon.

"Alright Vaporeon, time to play!" I called and she appeared with a bright cheer of her voice, smiling brightly before lowering her weight, preparing to spring as Morty sent out his first choice of Pokémon.

"Gastly, I choose you!" The ghost Pokémon appeared and Vaporeon lifted her head, locking onto her target. "After you Ruby." Morty said and I nodded my head, looking up at Gastly as Vaporeon focused on her opponent.

"Alright Vaporeon, it's time. Let's start things off with Water Gun!" Vaporeon instantly took a deep breath and the pendant around her neck began to glow, shimmering a pretty shade of blue before Vaporeon let out a powerful Water Gun which shot towards Gastly faster than it could blink, hitting it directly.

"Gastly no! Quick, disappear then use Hypnosis!" Morty directed and Gastly instantly disappeared from sight.

"Wow, that was some Water Gun. Are you sure it wasn't a Hydro Pump?" Misty whispered to Brock behind me and I just about picked up their conversation.

"It's the Mystic Water around Vaporeon's neck. It boosts water type attacks and makes them even more powerful." I smiled secretly, turning back to the match.

"Watch out Vaporeon, the moment Gastly appears I want you to dodge the Hypnosis then use Water Gun again."

"Poreon." She nodded her head, looking around her. Gastly suddenly reappeared almost right next to Vaporeon and its eyes began to glow, glaring down at Vaporeon who looked up then tried to spring away, however it was too close to escape.

"No! Vaporeon!" I called as Vaporeon slowly began to droop, giving a yawn so I quickly began to think. "Vaporeon shake it off, you can do it!" I said to her. "We're used to listening to Jigglypuff singing, this is nothing compared!" Vaporeon suddenly shook her head, pressing her paws into the ground then slapped her face with her tail to wake herself up. Then she lifted her head and blasted Gastly with Water Gun. "Alright! That's the way to do it."

"Gastly, dodge!" Morty commanded and Gastly began to disappear and reappear at leisure, avoiding every attack Vaporeon made at it.

"Stay calm Vaporeon, use Bubblebeam and fill the room! Don't aim anywhere, just hit every space you can find!" Vaporeon instantly began to shoot Bubblebeam off in all directions, aiming at the air and all around her and I waited, watching carefully.

Finally Gastly appeared then got hit full in the face by Vaporeon's attack, blasting it backwards so she locked on and continued to attack. "Gastly, use Shadow Ball!" Morty flung out a hand and instantly Gastly formed the dark ball at its mouth, turning directly down to Vaporeon then fired it down.

"Look out!" I called as the attack blasted through the bubbles and Vaporeon leaped out of the way, the ground blasting behind her but then Gastly struck again, directly where she was. "Vaporeon!" Vaporeon was flung backwards and she cried out from the hit, rolling on the ground but then pushed herself back onto her feet. "You're doing great Vaporeon, just a little bit more. Gastly is exhausted and almost finished." I told her and she nodded her head, breathing deeply but not labouredly.

"Vaporeon."

"Gastly, let's hit with another Shadow Ball, go!" Morty directed and Gastly disappeared from sight to reappear behind her.

"Counter with your own Shadow Ball!" Vaporeon whirled around, forming the ball at her mouth then let it soar up to Gastly, the two attacks hitting in the middle and the connection made them both explode, sending a massive force back at both Pokémon and I shielded my eyes, trying to peer through. "Vaporeon, use Bubblebeam before the dust clears." I said to her over the boom, hoping she would hear me.

Sure enough bubbles began to dart forwards, shooting up towards Gastly and they struck their mark, making Gastly shoot backwards before it tumbled to the ground, groaning in defeat then lay there, knocked out from Vaporeon's powerful hit.

"Oh no, Gastly!"

"Gastly is unable to battle, the winner is Vaporeon." The ref called as Morty returned his Gastly to its Pokéball.

"Way to go Vaporeon!" I cheered for her as she turned back a smile to me, glad to have done me proud. I turned back to Morty who gave a slow nod of his head.

"That was a great start Ruby. You Vaporeon is really something. Even without that Mystic Water I think its attacks would be pretty powerful." I smiled and nodded my head.

"Thanks. Your Gastly put up a tough fight. We really had to focus with that one." Morty chuckled before sending out his next Pokémon, which was not surprisingly a Haunter. Okay, so Haunter is stronger than a Gastly. This could be interesting.

"Okay Haunter, Mean Look!" What?! Mean Look?! No way! Haunter glared down at Vaporeon with glowing eyes and effectively trapped her in the battle as she shrank back slightly.

"Don't be afraid Vaporeon, it's okay." I promised her. "Just focus on Haunter and we'll be able to beat it! Now use Water Gun!" Vaporeon instantly shot a jet of water at Haunter who disappeared in a blink then reappeared. "Now redirect it!" Vaporeon turned her head and began to follow after Haunter, following its movements until she anticipated where it was going to reappear. She amped up the power then aimed at a space where Haunter then appeared and it got a full blast of Vaporeon's attack. "Nice hit, great going Vaporeon!"

"Haunter, get out of there and grab Vaporeon!" Suddenly two dark hands darted forwards and grabbed Vaporeon, lifting her off the ground and she began to kick and struggle, crying out as she was carried up into the air.

"Hold on Vaporeon, use Bubblebeam!" I directed and she tried to twist and turn to face Haunter but it was no use. "At the ground!" So she turned her attack downwards and the power forced her up into the air, shooting back towards Haunter whose face dropped as Vaporeon slammed into it.

"Don't let that knock you back Haunter, use Lick on Vaporeon!" Haunter shook itself off then extended a long tongue, slathering it over Vaporeon who continued to struggle, unable to get free and no attack would reach Haunter, who was cleverly holding her head away from him to save any hits from making their mark. I couldn't even use Swift as a normal type attack has no effect on a ghost Pokémon. What do I do? If only I could use her tail somehow…but how? "Good, now drop Vaporeon." Morty said and Haunter let go of my Vaporeon, who crashed into the ground with a loud thud and I gasped.

"Vaporeon! Vaporeon are you okay?" I questioned and Vaporeon trembled on the ground, trying to get up but then gave out, fainting from exhaustion and from that Lick attack. Not good.

"Vaporeon is unable to battle. The winner is Haunter!" The ref decided so I recalled Vaporeon then smiled down at the Pokéball.

"You were really amazing Vaporeon, you take a well deserved rest." I said before selecting my next Pokémon. "Okay Pidgeot, you're up!" If Pidgeot can match Haunter's speed then there would be no chance of it escaping us this time.

"Excellent choice, but I'm afraid your Pidgeot's speed won't be able to win this battle for you." Morty told me with a smirk. "Haunter, use Shadow Ball!" Haunter whipped up a powerful looking Shadow Ball, which instantly made me smirk.

"Fly right through it and use Aerial Ace!" I countered and Pidgeot instantly sped forwards with a flap of her wings, calling out loudly as she flew straight through the attack without taking on any damage then rammed into Haunter with intense speed, knocking it back as Morty gasped.

"No! How did it not affect it?" He stared as Pidgeot soared around the room, calling out before landing on the ground before me with a proud look as I placed a hand on my hip.

"Ghost type moves don't have an effect on normal type Pokémon. Pidgeot is a dual type, both normal and flying, so Shadow Ball isn't going to work." I explained then threw my hand out towards Haunter. "Now Pidgeot, use Wing Attack!"

"Pidgeot!" She chirped then flew up with glowing wings, banking to fly around to Haunter and make the hit.

"Dodge then use Hypnosis!" Morty answered and Haunter disappeared but Pidgeot merely banked around and charged at it again the moment Haunter reappeared. Haunter turned and took a hit, once again being knocked down out of the sky but it recovered quickly and floated back up again, only this time it faced Pidgeot ready with its attack.

Its eyes began to glow and it waved its hands in a hypnotic motion, trying to send Pidgeot to sleep but, as I said, it was used to Jigglypuff. "Brush it off and finish it with Aerial Ace!"

"Haunter no!" Morty yelled but Pidgeot was too fast. She gave Haunter a strong direct hit and Haunter tumbled out of the sky, now unable to continue battling due to Pidgeot's powerful wings. "Haunter return. You did well against such a formidable opponent. Rest now." Morty said affectionately as Pidgeot landed for a rest, conserving her energy like I had taught her. "Well, you certainly are a challenge. I can see why you and Ash get along so well, you are both very great trainers, but this time, I'm not going to be defeated! Gengar, I choose you!"

Just as I thought, his last Pokémon is his strongest. Gengar. "Okay Gengar, this one is fast so make sure you dodge all attacks. Start things off with Confuse Ray!"

"Use Quick Attack to get out the way then use Aerial Ace." I countered, pulling on my neckerchief to pull it around, feeling a little nervous about facing such a strong Pokémon but I quickly shoved it aside. Pidgeot darted out of the way of Gengar's Confuse Ray and got behind it, swooping forwards with her attack but then Gengar disappeared, making her pull up short and look around.

"Pidgeot?" I scanned the battlefield, trying to spot Gengar but so far there was nothing.

"Keep moving Pidgeot, don't let yourself be an easy target." I said to her and she flew off, gliding around the gym. Gengar continued to elude us, keeping out of sight until Morty finally called.

"Alright Gengar, now use Confuse Ray!" Without warning Gengar appeared in front of Pidgeot, making her start backwards in fear at its large grinning face before being blasted with the Confuse Ray.

"No Pidgeot!" I gasped, watching as Pidgeot suddenly became confused and fluttered her wings, flying around and around in circles as she tried to strike out. "Stop that Pidgeot, you're only hurting yourself!" She flew up and slammed into the ceiling, taking more damage before dive bombing the ground. "No! Pidgeot, return!" I called her back before she could crash land but then tossed her ball back into the air. "Okay, now come back out!"

This time when Pidgeot appeared, she was focused and ready to battle. "Use Whirlwind, and then use Air Slash once you have Gengar trapped!" Pidgeot set to work, whipping up a strong Hurricane which had Gengar struggling to remain aground as it blew against him. "Now!" Pidgeot beat her wings against the air and sharp slices of light burst from them, slamming into Gengar repeatedly who took the hits.

"Sucker Punch Gengar, don't let that Pidgeot get away!" Gengar suddenly opened its eyes and glared at Pidgeot, growling darkly before springing forwards up into the air, disappearing then reappearing in front of Pidgeot with a darkly glowing fist.

"Pidgeot watch out!" The hit landed and Pidgeot was knocked out of the sky, tumbling out of control.

"Gengar, use Lick and grab Pidgeot, then finish it with a toss!" Gengar's tongue rolled out sickeningly and wrapped around Pidgeot who squirmed but only weakly, unable to move as Gengar lifted her up then slammed her into the ground.

"Pidgeot!" When the dust cleared, Pidgeot was out of the battle.

"Pidgeot is now unable to battle, the winner is Gengar." So, it's down to one on one. What should I do? I could always rely on Charizard, but he just wasn't fast enough to keep up with Gengar's disappearing act, and he would be affected by any ghost type moves. Looks like I am left with only one choice.

"Okay Jigglypuff, it's show time!" I decided, letting my new friend out for her very first gym battle. She landed on the ground then gave a twirl, spinning around elegantly before bowing.

"Jigglypuff!"

"Wow, now that's a stylish Pokémon." Morty commented and I gave a little laugh, rubbing the back of my head.

"Yeah, Jigglypuff love the spotlight." I answered then looked to see Gengar looming over Jigglypuff, trying to use Scary Face to frighten her but Jigglypuff merely inflated herself and gave an angry reply.

"Puff!" That's when she started to Double Slap Gengar, though it looked something more like a Triple Slap. "Jiggly, Jiggly, Jigglypuff!"

"Agh! Jigglypuff stop that! Double Slap won't work on Gengar because it's a ghost type!" I yelped frantically as Gengar simply stared down at Jigglypuff, probably wondering if she was for real. "Ugh…use Sing!"

"Gengar, counter with Hypnosis!" Ha! That's just perfect! Jigglypuff began to sing beautifully, concentrating her voice on Gengar but since she always sang with her eyes closed, Hypnosis wasn't going to do anything, however I could already see Gengar beginning to grow sleepy.

"Keep going! You've almost got it!" I encouraged, clenching my fists tightly as Gengar continued to grow drowsy.

"Gengar, shake it off and use Sucker Punch!" Morty tried but Gengar merely keeled over and fell asleep.

"Alright! Great job Jigglypuff, now let's finish this up!" I laughed happily, pointing towards Gengar though I heard Misty worry behind me that Jigglypuff didn't know any moves that would have an effect on Gengar. "You just watch Misty." I said to her and she blinked. "Jigglypuff, Disarming Voice!" A new move I discovered today by checking my Pokédex on my way over here. It's apparently effective even on ghost type Pokémon, which is great news!

Jigglypuff blew out a sound which rippled around Gengar with musical notes and even a few hearts flying out of her mouth, hitting Gengar and it groaned in its sleep before rolling over. "Gengar, you must wake up! Wake up Gengar!" Morty pleaded as Jigglypuff hit again and again with Disarming Voice. Just then Gengar's eyes flew open and jumped back up onto its feet, growling over at Jigglypuff who glared. "Great work Gengar, now use Sucker Punch!" A move that will effect normal type Pokémon. Okay then, leave this one to Jigglypuff.

"Inflate and fly up, then use Ice Beam!"

"What? Your Jigglypuff knows Ice Beam?" Ash practically yelled as Jigglypuff rose up into the air, dodging Gengar's attack.

"Of course, you think we spent all our training time messing around? Honestly Ash, I thought you knew me better." I said with a titter of my tongue, wagging a finger as Jigglypuff blasted a stream of ice down at Gengar, landing a direct hit and it flew backwards from the blast. "When I train Pokémon, we train hard together. Besides, I'd already it taught to Vaporeon, I think Jigglypuff was just listening in on the lessons. She sure surprised me when she came up with that one the other day." I laughed, watching as Gengar crash landed then groaned, struggling to get up at first before finally collapsing to the ground.

"Gengar is unable to battle, the winner is Jigglypuff and the battle goes to Ruby Bates from Pallet Town." The referee ruled and I gasped, smiling broadly as Jigglypuff jumped up and turned to face me with a happy smile.

"Jigglypuff!"

"You did it Jigglypuff, you won your first gym battle and against a Gengar!" Jigglypuff leaped up into my arms and I spun around with her before holding her close, smiling into her soft fur before turning to face Morty as he approached.

"That was some battle Ruby, I can see you and Ash going far with your Pokémon. Here, as proof of your victory I award you the Fog Badge." Morty said then held out the badge, letting me take it from him and gaze at it with pride.

"Look Jigglypuff, this badge is thanks to you." I told her and she nodded her head with a proud expression.

"Puff." She agreed so I giggled before placing her on my shoulder, pulled out my badge case then placed the new addition in its slot, giving a final nod before putting it away.

"Thanks for such a great battle Morty. I sure learned a lot and so did my Pokémon. We'll train even harder to make sure we're even better prepared next time we might come up against a ghost Pokémon."

"That's good. A battle isn't really a battle unless you learn something from it. Just remember, there are always new things to learn about Pokémon and how to harness their skills, so don't ever give up on them." I nodded my head before giving a polite bow which Morty returned. "It was an experience I shall never forget, meeting you all. You take care now and good luck with the rest of your battles. I know you'll do your best."

"We sure will." I agreed as Brock and the others approached so I took back the egg. I received the sensation of pride and I glowed inwardly in response, giving a small smile before turning to Jigglypuff. "Well Jigglypuff, it's time you took a rest. You earned it."

"Jigglypuff." She nodded her head in agreement as she returned to her Pokéball which I secured back on my belt before turning to Morty.

"I hope your Pokémon are all okay."

"They'll be fine. I'll take them to Nurse Joy once my lesson is finished. You all take care." Morty answered and we all said goodbye before leaving the gym. I held my head high and couldn't stop smiling all the way to the Pokémon Centre, a light bounce in my step as I handed my Pokémon over into Nurse Joy's care before spinning around to face the others.

"Okay, so where next?"


	26. Chapter 26

Back on the road we'd taken a lot of twists and turns, travelled through forests, over mountains and overseas but this place just set me on edge. We were walking through a canyon with steep cliffs either side of us, only thing was there were loads of rocks set at the edge, threatening to fall at any moment.

"Hey guys, look at those boulders. They could come crashing down at any second." Misty worried as if reading my mind.

"Misty's right, I think we'd better hurry through here and fast!" Brock agreed so we all started to run. We got no further than a couple of steps ahead when a sudden gale force wind blew through the canyon, stopping us in our tracks as it blew dust and small stones into our faces which we guarded with our arms whilst trying to keep from being pushed backwards.

The sudden crunch of rock made us all look up to see the rocks falling from above, disturbed by the wind and my heart gave a jolt of fear as they loomed closer, falling quickly down to the exact spot we were standing frozen in place.

But then out of nowhere I heard a growl and something ploughed into me, sweeping me up and I was then surrounded by warmth and thick fur which I clung to with one hand and the egg case with the other, keeping it tucked securely into me as I struggled to hang on. What's going on? What's happening?

Taking a deep breath I opened my eyes and blinked when I found myself riding on an Arcanine, its powerful body carrying us out from under the rocks and through the raging wind without even placing a paw wrong. Wow! This is awesome! With a laugh I swung my leg around and sat upright, leaning forwards slightly to gain my balance then looked back at Brock as he clung to the satchel strap that was wound around the Arcanine's body. So it's not a wild one, that's kind of a shame. I'd love an Arcanine!

Ahead I saw two more Arcanine only this time, they carried passengers that weren't my friends. A girl and a younger boy, both of whom rode the Arcanine with precision and skill. We raced out of the canyon until the Arcanine halted with a bark, stopping short so that the others could jump off.

Our Arcanine sat down and Brock fell off into a heap on the ground but I swung down easily, walking to the Arcanine's face with a smile. "Thank you so much Arcanine! You really saved our lives back there." I praised before beginning to scratch the spot behind its ear where it instantly began to wag its tail and leaned into my touch.

"Hey, you're pretty good with Arcanine. Usually it doesn't let any stranger pet it like that." The girl said to me so I gave a shy smile.

"Well, I've been taught how to treat all kinds of Pokémon with special massages and I even spent time with a gym leader who specialised in fire types. He showed me how to take care of any fire Pokémon and one of his favourites was the Arcanine. I learned a lot." I explained, giving one last scratch before walking over to the others. "Thanks for helping us out."

"Yeah, you saved us back there." Ash said to them as the boy leaned back against his Arcanine, tucking his hands behind his head.

"We're just happy you're all okay." The girl told us warmly.

"Yeah good thing we were passing by when we did." The boy agreed.

"My name's Ramona and this little guy's my little brother Kegan." Ramona introduced and the little sweetie gave a little bow to Misty, his eyes shining slightly in admiration.

"Kegan at your service miss." Aw that's just adorable. I think he's got a little crush on Misty!

"It's very nice to meet both of you. My name is Misty." She introduced as Togepi chirped in her arms. I was stood next to her so I went next.

"I'm Ruby. Ruby Bates." I nodded my head to them in greeting before Ash introduced himself.

"And I'm Ash Ketchum." However Brock wasn't all too focused on the introductions.

"And I'm in heaven!" He proclaimed then skipped forwards over to Ramona then grabbed one of her hands, holding it close to his face as he gazed up at her with that goofy smile and voice. "It's absolutely miraculous that a Pokémon as powerful as an Arcanine is like honey in hands as dainty and delicate as these are!" He declared and I sighed with a shake of my head. How does he come up with all this? Does he plan every speech out or just goes with the flow? Suddenly he dropped to his knees and practically grovelled before her. "Oh Ramona, I'll do whatever you command just like Arcanine, I'm putty in your hands!"

Misty saw sense and strode forwards, grabbing Brock by the ear and lifted him up to his feet with an unimpressed look on her face. "You may be putty to her but you're nutty to me." She told him before leading him away as he winced.

"Ow! Not the ear!" Ash took this moment of distraction to get a closer look at the Arcanine, looking at them with awe and fascination.

"Wow this is cool! I've never seen an Arcanine up close like this before."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Ash flipped open Dexter to look at the information registered about Arcanine.

"Arcanine, a legendary Pokémon, the evolved form of Growlithe. Arcanine is well known for its bravery and fierce loyalty. Growlithe evolved into Arcanine through use of a Fire Stone." Dexter explained as Ash and I both listened.

"So that's how Growlithe turns into an Arcanine." Ash stated before frowning slightly in thought. "You know…I think I saw a Fire Stone someplace." He mused and I nodded my head.

"I have one or two, remember Ash? And also we saw loads of evolution stones back in Stone Town with the four Eevee brothers." I reminded him but then I felt hot breath being blown on the back of my head so I turned to see the Arcanine who had carried me to safety standing right behind me. "Huh?" Arcanine gave a bark then lay down before me, stretching out its head and began to nuzzle into me with its warm fur.

"Would you look at that. Arcanine really likes you Ruby. You must be some trainer." Ramona said to me as Kegan brought out a bag from the satchel attached to his Arcanine.

"I have some Fire Stones in here Ash, take a look." He offered and the four of us all looked inside to see a rather large amount of Fire Stones gathered together.

"There must be dozens of them in there." Ash said with an impressed tone.

"How did you get all those Fire Stones Kegan? Did you win them or trade for them?" Misty asked him gently but Kegan shook his head.

"They don't belong to me Misty, these Fire Stones are the prizes they're going to give to the winners at the big competition." He explained and Ash's head lifted slightly with interest.

"Competition?" I thought that might get Ash's interest peaked.

"Yeah, they're having a fire Pokémon tournament on the other side of these mountains tomorrow." He informed us and I hummed in thought. Fire Pokémon competition, now that sounds like fun! Maybe I should enter with Charizard? It would be good experience and he hasn't had a proper battle in a while.

"That makes sense, they're a perfect prize for a fire Pokémon contest." Misty agreed with a smile as we all faced the brother and sister.

"You see my brother and I have a delivery business so we transport all kinds of cargo from town to town and village to village using our Arcanine." Ramona explained and I turned to the Arcanine who still elected to rest close to me, giving a broad smile which it returned.

"That sounds like an exciting job! Climbing steep mountains, crossing swift surging rivers…outrunning tumbling boulders!" Brock got a little carried away with his excitement, over enthused by the thought of it all but I did agree, it sounds like a pretty amazing life and you get to spend all your time with the Arcanine, which is great in itself.

"Brock's right, it must be pretty interesting." Ash said to Kegan and Ramona who both nodded their heads.

"Maybe we could travel together, where are you guys headed for?" Ramona asked and instantly I lifted my head.

"We're all going to Olivine City so that Ash and I can challenge the gym leader there." I told them. "You see, we're both entered in the Johto league." Kegan instantly grinned and turned to his sister.

"Olivine City is in the same direction we're going. Ramona, we could get them there a whole lot faster!" Kegan said hopefully and I bit my lip in hope as well. I'd love to ride the Arcanine again, would she let us?

"You're right." She nodded her head in agreement. "That is, as long as you don't mind riding on one of the Arcanine." She said to us but I merely laughed.

"Are you kidding? I thought you'd never ask!" The Arcanine laying down next to me leaped to its feet then began to nudge at me, making me giggle as I turned and leaped up onto its back. "You got it buddy! Let's get this wagon rolling!"

"Awesome! Hey Kegan, can Pikachu and I ride with you and your Arcanine? It looks fast." Ash asked and Kegan laughed as he climbed onto his Arcanine. "Sure! Climb on Ash."

"Well Misty, you can ride with me and Brock, you'll be perfectly safe on our other Arcanine. Just hold on tight to Ruby and you won't fall off." Ramona said as she jumped onto her own Arcanine then held out a hand to help Misty get on too. "Ruby, don't worry about a thing, let Arcanine just follow us and you won't get into any trouble."

"No problem Ramona." I told her confidently. "This is going to be a blast! Right Arcanine?" Arcanine barked in agreement so I giggled then wove my fingers into its bushy and warm fur having zipped the egg into my bag to keep it safe.

"You all ready?" Ramona called over her shoulder as she took the lead.

"You bet!" We all called back but Brock wasn't too sure.

"I think I need to strap myself in." He whined but it was too late.

"Okay then let's go!" Arcanine suddenly powered forwards and I laughed aloud, feeling myself jerk backwards slightly before I adjusted to the speed and leaned forwards, keeping my balance as Brock yelled from behind, hanging onto my waist for dear life as his legs flew off Arcanine's back, unable to keep his seat.

I felt the rush of wind and it almost seemed like we were flying, in fact even more so when the Arcanine jumped and soared through the air, covering as much distance as it would have by continuing to run.

We ran all day until finally we stopped in the afternoon for a rest, some good tea and food. I jumped off of Arcanine still with bundles of energy, unable to control my laughter as I spun around. "That was so much fun! And guys, I've had an amazing idea!" I declared as Brock fell down to the ground beside me, groaning in pain.

"What's that Ruby?" Misty asked as she too dismounted.

"When I get my sanctuary up and running, I'm going to have Arcanine help patrol the grounds to protect all the Pokémon and help me get to any trouble fast if I can't fly there. It'll be awesome!" I said whilst patting Arcanine's soft fur.

"That's a great idea!" Misty beamed as Ramona got down from her Arcanine.

"Pokémon sanctuary?" She queried so Ash explained as I was a little too busy fussing over the Arcanine, rubbing its belly as it rolled onto its back.

"You see, Ruby has a dream to one day open a sanctuary for Pokémon that have been abandoned or need special help. She wants to protect them and help them either find new trainers or new homes to live safely. Amazing, right?"

"You bet. That's such a wonderful idea. Have you had any thoughts about where you're going to set up?" Ramona asked me, walking over and handed me a brush without even needed to ask. I took it and began to work through Arcanine's fur carefully, grooming it to perfection.

"I'm thinking about the one sanctuary back in Kanto, my home region however I would like to extend to other regions as well, plus I'll need centres all across the place so that people could bring in Pokémon for any special treatment, for example if a Pokémon is afraid of humans then that's what I'll be there for, to help them get over that fear but sometimes, us humans need help as well, so I'll be there to help them as well." I said as Ramona listened with interest. "You see, some people just don't understand how important Pokémon are and will mistreat them without a second thought."

I paused in my work to turn and let out Bulbasaur and Vaporeon, kneeling down to greet them as they both sprang into my arms with a cheer, instantly licking and tickling me to show their affection as I laughed. "These two Pokémon were ones I rescued. Bulbasaur had been abandoned by his trainer and left in a sewer for over thirty years, and this Vaporeon was being bullied and hurt by her trainer when it was just a little Eevee, I found her being left in a forest by the trainer all alone." I explained to Ramona who knelt down and held out her hand to Bulbasaur who blinked then went over to her, letting her rub his head and he instantly smiled.

"Bulbasaur." He wrapped his vines around her arms to hold onto her and she chuckled before giving a sad sigh.

"That's just awful. I had no idea people really did such things to their Pokémon." She said and I nodded my head.

"It happens all the time and I want to put a stop to it. My Pokémon Sanctuary is something I'm going to work hard for and no one is going to stop me. I'll find somewhere I can put Pokémon to rest and recover, and even stay if they want to. All I want is for them to be safe, so that's what I'm going to do." I told her confidently as Kegan walked over.

"That's pretty amazing you know. Hey Ramona, can we help somehow? I want to be part of something like that." He asked, crouching down and stroked Vaporeon's back as she sat in my lap, enjoying my attention as Bulbasaur found a new friend in Ramona.

"Sure but I don't know how. We're so busy with our delivery service." Kegan thought for a moment before suddenly lifting his head.

"I got it! We can tell all our customers about your great idea Ruby, that way we can help get you sponsors and, if we ever find any abandoned Pokémon, we'll take them straight to a Pokémon Centre and tell you, so you can then help find it a new home."

"That's a great idea Kegan, that would really help Ruby start up her plan." Brock said, finally pulling himself together as he set up the tea. "If you can start practicing how you help Pokémon Ruby, you'll be able to learn how to best help Pokémon and your dreams will start to come true." He was right, it would be amazing if people did start to hear about my plan, but how would I make mine different to any other rehoming centre for Pokémon? Apart from the fact mine will be better and focused on the Pokémon instead of the money. Oh well, I'll come to that bridge when it needs crossing.

"Thanks guys, you all are so great to me." I said with a smile before turning to my Pokémon. "Okay guys, back in your Pokéballs. I think Ramona would like to keep her arm." Bulbasaur turned a cheerful expression to me before I returned them both then continued to groom Arcanine.

I groomed Arcanine until its coat was shiny and smooth, making it look ten times as magnificent as it lifted its head proudly. "There. You look fantastic Arcanine, if I do say so myself." I added as I stepped back to admire Arcanine's freshly groomed coat. Arcanine barked then licked my face with a wet tongue, making me giggle before I managed to wriggle away. "Stop that! That tickles!" I laughed then looked around to see Ash climbing up onto Kegan's Arcanine. "Hey what's going on?" I questioned but then I suddenly felt a muzzle scoop me up from underneath and I was tossed into the air with a yell before landing on Arcanine's back. "Hey! What's going on?" I yelped as Arcanine suddenly surged forwards. "Wow! Stop Arcanine! I'm not your cargo!"

"Ruby! Ruby what are you doing?" Misty yelled as Arcanine began to pelt after Ash and his ride, straight for a rock.

"I'm being kidnapped!" I yelled back then pressed my eyes tightly shut.

"Don't panic, just lean the way you want to go!" Kegan called out to us so I opened my eyes to see Ash lean left, so I leaned right and sure enough, Arcanine turned right and avoided the rock.

"Phew, that was close. Now Arcanine, slow down a little bit." I told it firmly before gulping. "Please?" Arcanine gave a bark then slowed down its run a little, making it easier for me to breathe and slow down my beating heart. "Okay, that's good." I sighed with relief before I heard Ash yelling in fear.

I saw him and his Arcanine leaping up into the air over a ditch, clearing it easily with space to spare until finally they landed but Ash was thrown off, tossed up into the air then landed on the ground with a roll, groaning from being winded. "Ash!" I cried out and instantly moved Arcanine over to him, bounding over in just two leaps. "Ash are you okay?" I asked, jumping off of Arcanine's back but he was already sitting up.

"That was great!" He cheered and I sighed, shaking my head before smiling. At least he's okay. "All I need is more practice and then I'll be as good as Kegan is." Suddenly we all heard whistling, one that seemed to descend in sound so we all looked up to find a rocket blazing down from the sky and aimed right where we were standing.

"That rocket is heading right this way!" Ramona pointed so I quickly grabbed my pack with the egg in it then turned to the others.

"Well then, let's not stand here like a sitting Psyduck! Run!" We all ran from our packs, leaving them behind and just tried to run out of range of the rocket blast however when it hit the ground, it simply stood there embedded in the dirt without even exploding. Well that's a disappointing action sequence.

It seemed I spoke to soon though, because a hatch opened and a hand shot out, going into one of the satchels and pulled out the Fire Stones. Oh shocker, I wonder who the bad guys could be? "Someone's stealing the Fire Stones!" Ramona said with anger, stepping forwards with Ash at her side.

"I think I know who." He told her before a voice came from within the rocket.

"It's too late to prepare for trouble." Jessie.

"We stole the Fire Stones on the double!" James.

"To protect the world from devastation…" Yup. It's Team Rocket. But would they please stop with the stupid motto already?! It's driving me nuts!

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love…"

"To extend our reach to the stars about." They appeared by rising up from within their rocket, standing on a platform with their faces hidden behind little flaps with the Team Rocket letter on them.

"Jessie."

"James." That's it, I've had enough.

"Okay Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to grab that bag!" I called and sent out my Pokémon, unable to stand another word of their stupid drama sequence. Bulbasaur appeared and instantly let his vines shoot forwards, aiming for the bag in Jessie's hand but then Meowth leaped out with the rubber hand and smirked.

"Take this you sewer scum!" He yelled and punched it forwards, hitting Bulbasaur right in the face.

"Agh! Bulbasaur no!" I ran over to Bulbasaur who shook out the hit, glaring up at Team Rocket as they jumped down from their little podium with a satisfied smirk whilst I ran over to Bulbasaur who seemed a little uneasy on his legs, slightly stunned by the hit. "Bulbasaur are you okay?" I asked him gently and he looked up at me.

"Bulbasaur, Bulbasaur Saur." He told me and I nodded my head with a soft smile.

"It's okay, that was a dirty Team Rocket trick."

"That's right little girl, didn't your parents ever tell you it was rude to interrupt someone when they were speaking?" Jessie said to me as I picked Bulbasaur up in my arms.

"At least I don't go around stealing things that don't belong to me!" I returned, stepping forwards. "Those Fire Stones aren't for you, give them back!"

"Oh I think you're wrong." Jessie said with a shake of her head.

"Anything we steal does in fact belong to us. So these stones are ours!" James agreed but Ash wasn't going to give up just like that.

"We'll see about that. Pikachu zap them with your Thunderbolt!" He said and Pikachu instantly began to crackle at the cheeks, charging himself up ready for a powerful electric attack. Suddenly the hand shot out again only this time it grabbed Pikachu before any of us could move. "Oh no!"

"Pikachu!" I gasped and Bulbasaur lowered his head to glare at Team Rocket.

"Bulba!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt was absorbed by the rubber glove, rendering it ineffective and useless as Meowth laughed.

"Zap away Pikachu, that rubber hand absorbs electricity." I was about to call for Bulbasaur to use Razor Leaf when Ramona stepped forwards with a hard, stony expression.

"Arcanine get Pikachu out of that thing!" She ordered and her Arcanine suddenly sprang forwards, smashing into the spring of the rubber hand and smashed it to shards, letting Pikachu go flying free and Ash ran forwards with his arms outstretched.

"I got you!" He called then caught Pikachu in his arms, laughing down as Pikachu beamed.

"Pika Pi!" I chuckled, looking down at Bulbasaur with a smile which he returned. At least Pikachu is okay.

"Alright Arcanine, now use Fire Spin all together!" I watched as all three Arcanine ran forwards with their bodies alight with twisting fire, leaping up with angry growls before lunging at Team Rocket who all ducked with a cry of fear, avoiding being hit as the Arcanine flew overhead.

"We're forced to retreat for now, team." Jessie said quickly with James instantly concurring.

"It's a good thing we brought the rocket this time Jess." Meowth pointed into the air with an unfazed smirk.

"It's time we activate our high speed emergency escape system!" He crowed before the three of them ran back into their rocket through an open hatch and it began to glow brightly inside.

"What is that?" I asked nervously, taking a step back as we all watched helplessly.

"It must be something pretty unbelievable." Ash answered. We waited a second longer until Team Rocket leaped out on their escape ride with victorious laughter. A three seated bicycle.

"Yeah Ash. Unbelievable." I agreed with a dead pan face. Those guys should have their own show. They'd certainly keep the audience guessing.

"You ready to go get them?" Ramona turned to her brother who instantly nodded his head.

"Yeah!" They both ran forwards then jumped onto their Arcanine, turning to face Team Rocket as they pedalled away as fast as their legs would carry them.

"Let's go Arcanine and catch those three!" Ramona called and then all at once the Arcanine sprang forwards with even more speed than I had seen before. They sure knew how to hustle when the going gets gone. Team Rocket had better watch out, I know I wouldn't want to be facing an angry Arcanine.

"Those Arcanine sure are fast." Ash noted as we stood and watched them go.

"Yeah, their legs look like a blur!"

"They all must be using their Extreme Speed!" Misty realised so I began to run after them.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's follow them!" With Bulbasaur in my arms and the egg in my pack we all raced after the Arcanine, watching them surround Team Rocket, but after a moment or two, a parachute suddenly opened up from the back of the bike and they halted quickly, losing the Arcanine who skidded to try and stop, pressing their paws into the ground but the moment they were still, they fell into a Team Rocket hole. "Oh no!"

"Ramona!"

"Kegan!" Brock and Ash yelled as we reached the edge of the giant hole, looking down at the deeply dug trap. Wow, Team Rocket had really outdone themselves this time. This has to be one of the biggest holes I've ever seen from them.

"Are you guys all okay down there?" Misty called down and Kegan nodded his head.

"I think so."

"Don't worry, Bulbasaur will get you two out." I assured them before putting Bulbasaur on the ground. "Bulbasaur, lower me down first then lift Kegan and Ramona up." I told him and he nodded to me.

"Bulbasaur." Wrapping his vines securely around my waist he let me down and I instantly went over to Kegan and Ramona.

"Is anything hurting?" I asked but they shook their heads.

"No, we're fine. I'm worried about the Arcanine though, that was quite a fall for them." Ramona said as the Arcanine remained motionless on the ground so I gave her a warm, confident smile.

"It'll be okay. I'll make sure they're alright. You just help Kegan get out of here."

"Right." She stood up with Kegan and Bulbasaur instantly wrapped his vines around them both and lifted them out.

"Okay Arcanine, time to wake up." I said, pulling out some medicine then began to spray them. "You all took quit a fall but just a little bit of this and you'll be back on your feet in no time. We have to go after Team Rocket and get those Fire Stones back." I told them and slowly, they began to open their eyes. They blinked in surprise, looking around them before leaping to their feet and barking. "That's it, now all of you jump on out, we've got some crooks to catch!"

One by one the Arcanine leaped out but the last one stopped and nudged me to its back so I climbed on, smiling as I patted its fur. "Thanks Arcanine." It barked in reply then turned to face Ramona and Kegan who were already mounting up on their own Arcanine.

"We have to hurry, we can still catch up to them." Ramona said so I pulled out Bulbasaur's Pokéball.

"Nice work Bulbasaur, thanks for your help." I said to him as he returned before securing the Pokéball back on my belt. "Okay Brock, climb up and hold on. We've got some ground to cover."

"I was afraid of this." He whined but climbed on anyway, holding onto me as we all sprang forwards. The Arcanine followed the scent for as long as they could until it disappeared and we were left with nothing. No scent and no tracks to follow. I think Team Rocket might actually be getting smarter, which is a huge problem. A dangerous problem, in fact. But Brock had the even smarter idea of sending out his Golbat out and used its Supersonic to try and locate them. Oh by the way, Zubat evolved back at that lake battle when we lost the egg. I forgot to mention that.

"Team Rocket had that trap set for us from the very beginning." Ramona said as she glared at the ground. "I should have suspected it!" She said so I moved Arcanine closer to her.

"You couldn't have known, Ramona, so don't beat yourself up about it. Things like this happen and will happen again, so the best you can do is learn from the experience and be prepared for it next time." I told her before hearing Golbat click, trying to get our attention.

"I think my Golbat may be on to something." Brock said so Ash clenched a fist.

"So let's check it out." The Arcanine sprang forwards and Golbat lead us to new tracks which split up in different directions. "The bicycle tracks lead to here." Ash said, frowning slightly down at them.

"But then they must have split off and gone in different directions." Brock added, examining the tracks carefully.

"They must have done that so we'd have to split too." Ramona realised and I sighed. Yup, Team Rocket has definitely got smarter. This is bad, bad news. I can't deal with a smart Team Rocket! We'd never get the better of them again!

"This is going to make it a lot harder to find them." Misty said stiffly as Kegan stood at her side.

"I wonder which one with the Fire Stones went Ramona." He said to his sister who turned a hard, serious expression on her brother.

"We don't have time to wonder, if we want to find those stones then we're going to have to split up like they did." She answered so I jumped back up onto Arcanine's back.

"Right, so let's get going." I said then moved forwards, grabbing Brock by his pack then hauled him up behind me before taking the left route, guiding Arcanine along to follow the tracks. Ramona and Misty followed, keeping an eye out for trouble as Ash and Kegan went to the right.

We followed the tracks deeper into the woods until the Arcanine suddenly stopped and barked, signalling they had found something. "Look there!" Brock pointed and I peered around to see the Fire Stones resting on a stump dead ahead of us.

"It's the bag of Fire Stones!" Misty said happily but I frowned. If the bag was there, where was Team Rocket?

"Come on Arcanine let's get 'em!" Ramona called and both Arcanine sprang forwards but I held mine back.

"Woah there, something's not right." I said, frowning slightly. "Why would they leave the stones there like bait? Unless…" Brock suddenly clicked it too.

"Ramona stop!" Too late. They dropped down into a freshly dug hole with a cry. "Argh! Ramona!" Brock leaped off of Arcanine and raced over to the hole, dropping to his knees to call out. "Ramona! Ramona are you alright? Are you hurt?" He cried desperately as I moved Arcanine over as well but took a leap to grab the bag.

"We're fine Brock, but don't worry about me!" Misty yelled back as I opened the bag then gasped before growling and tossing it away.

"Guys! The stones aren't real! They're just ordinary rocks!" I informed them. "We have to find the others and think of something else. This plan isn't working."

"You're right Ruby. Arcanine, jump out of this hole!" The Arcanine gave a bark before leaping up, reaching with its paws and managed to cling onto the edge where its feet began to scrabble but then it dropped back down again, unable to make it. "Oh…I don't know what to do! What do we do Ruby?" I blinked. Why was she asking me?

"I'll save you Ramona!" Brock declared, racing forwards but then tripped, giving a yell as he too tumbled down the hole. Right. That's why she asked me.

"Don't anybody worry, I'm going to get you all out of there." I promised, sizing up the hole then looked around me. "Okay Brock, snap into your senses and use Geodude to smash up the hole to make room then use Onix to climb out of there, I'm going to go one ahead and try and find Team Rocket's scent, is that okay Ramona?"

"Sure, just be careful. We have to get those stones back." Ramona answered so I turned my head.

"Okay Arcanine, try and find a scent then follow it!" Arcanine nodded his head then lifted his nose upwards before barking. "You found it? Then let's go!" Arcanine sprang forwards so I bunched my fingers in its thick mane, crouching over to keep my balance and let Arcanine lead me after Team Rocket.

It got dark pretty quickly but Arcanine continued to run, leaping off a cliff then bounded off of trees before landing safely back on the ground again. "You're doing great Arcanine, just keep going. We'll catch them." I promised. "So let's speed things up! Go Arcanine!" Arcanine powered forwards and I leaned my body to help guide him through the trees, letting him concentrate on the scent but then he suddenly lifted his head and gave a loud howl. "What is it buddy?"

Suddenly another Arcanine leaped out of the bushes and joined us, racing at our side with an answering howl. "Ash! Kegan! It's you!" I beamed, overjoyed to see them both alright.

"Ruby where's Brock? And Misty and Ramona? What happened?" Ash asked so I explained.

"They got caught in a Team Rocket supersized hole that Ramona's Arcanine couldn't jump out of because we were lured in by a bag of fake stones. They fell in then Brock fell too when he tried to rescue Ramona." I said with a serious face. "So I left them with instructions of how to get out and went on ahead to help find Team Rocket."

"Is my sister okay?" Kegan asked and I nodded my head.

"She's fine, though I think her Arcanine will need some time to rest after such a fall, I think it hurt its paw." That's when I noticed the mundane bandage on his arm. "Kegan! You got hurt! What happened? Wait, where's Pikachu?"

"Jessie tricked us. She challenged us to a battle for the stones but when we won we also fell into a hole. The stones were fake as well and Jessie grabbed Pikachu too before getting away. I hurt my arm in the fall, so Ash is leading Arcanine because I can't hang on that well." Kegan told me so I have a comforting smile.

"It'll be okay. The moment we have those stones back Brock and I will take a look. We've got plenty of first aid kit to help you get better." I promised before turning back to Arcanine. "Now Arcanine, show me just how fast you can go!"

"You too Arcanine! Let me feel the wind!" Ash called and together we sprang forwards. We raced over a mountain path and into another forest, the Arcanine following the scent until finally we stopped at a clearing. "So there you are!" Ash yelled as we spotted Team Rocket sitting with Pikachu in a cage and a large spread of devoured food before them on a blanket.

"You guys have a lot of nerve, stuffing yourselves after doing such a horrible thing!" I shouted over to them. "Now, hand over Pikachu and the Fire Stones!" Team Rocket leaped up, glaring at us.

"Twerps!"

"Arcanine, Take Down!" Kegan called and his Arcanine charged forwards but Jessie thrust her Wobbuffet in front.

"I choose you so get out there and do something!" With a final push Wobbuffet skidded forwards with a yell before glowing red around his outline, using Counter.

"Arcanine, you go too but jump over Wobbuffet then use Take Down on Team Rocket!" I directed just as Kegan's Arcanine was flung backwards from Wobbuffet's Counter, throwing back the attack. Arcanine leaped over both his friend and Wobbuffet, racing over towards Team Rocket who yelled in fear as he powered into them.

"This is so unfair!" Jessie yelled as they all flew back into the bushes, clutching the bag of Fire Stones whilst James clung onto the cage that held Pikachu. Wobbuffet gave a wail of worry then dashed off into the trees after them, faster than I could have ever thought possible and even stunned the Arcanine, who watched as it darted into the brush. I shook myself awake.

"Come on, before they get away." I said to the others with a wave of my hand and took a step to run after Team Rocket but then stopped, looking up to see their balloon lifting off from the ground with their laughter ringing in my ears.

"Nice try twerps but your plan has failed." Jessie crowed as they rose up into the air. "We've still got the Fire Stones and Pikachu."

"And there's nothing you twerps can do about it." We'll see about that James, I'm not about to let you three morons get away with Pikachu! Not on my life!

"You watch it Team Rocket, you're not getting away!" I shouted back up to them before hearing something racing towards us, grinding over the ground at a fast pace when Misty called out.

"Ash! Ruby!"

"Don't worry, leave Team Rocket to us." Brock announced as he rode on Onix's head with Misty, Ramona and her Arcanine all hitching a lift as well. Alright! The cavalry is here. Watch out Team Rocket, your little victory is about to go up in smokes.

"Arcanine, use Fire Spin attack!" Ramona called and her Arcanine raced up Onix's body, its body setting aflame and I watched with an awe filled smile as the Arcanine soared over my head and glided into the sky, snarling in anger before brushing against the balloon, setting it alight before it burst into dust and the basket suddenly dropped with Team Rocket screaming.

"Heads up Ash!" I called as Pikachu and the stones came falling from the air towards us so we both ran ahead and held out our arms, catching both with a laugh. "Alright! Victory tastes sweet." I chanted as I gave another laugh then looked over at Ash who hugged his buddy.

"Pikachu, you're okay!"

"Pika Pi!" But then _someone_ had to go and ruin it all.

"We're not giving up without a fight." Jessie declared, standing up from the bushes looking a little scruffy and untidy. "Go Arbok!" Arbok appeared with a hiss then charged straight for us, eyes on Pikachu and the stones which I instantly drew back with.

"Arcanine, Take Down attack!" Kegan suddenly called and his Arcanine powered forwards with insane speed, taking out Arbok with the one hit and flew back to Jessie and the others who all yelled in fear.

"It's coming this way!" Meowth yelled and they tried to make a break for it but Arbok landed on them regardless, making me giggle.

"Nice one Arcanine. I think that's a home run." I told it and it lifted its head proudly with a bark. I looked over to Ash to see him drop the cage and turn to Pikachu who instantly climbed onto his shoulder.

"It's good to see you Pikachu."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu answered as I walked back over to the others but then Kegan pointed behind me.

"Look, Team Rocket's getting away!" Ash instantly turned and glared over at them, Pikachu pulling a similar expression as I too grit my teeth.

"I think those two deserve to be taught a lesson!" Ash announced and Pikachu nodded his head in agreement.

"Let 'em have it Ash." I said, lifting a clenched fist before turning. "Come on Arcanine, let's get them!" Arcanine barked with a nod of his head, letting me leap back onto his back and I instantly guided him forwards as Ash jumped onto Arcy, Kegan's own Arcanine and together we raced after them.

"Not so fast Team Rocket!" Ash called after them in a serious tone. "Arcy, Extreme Speed!"

"You too Arcanine, let's have it!" I agreed and Arcanine instantly began to blur forwards, me clinging onto the thick mane for support as we sped past Team Rocket and turned to face them with Pikachu jumping off to stand ahead, glaring heatedly.

"Pika."

"Alright Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" Ash pointed at Team Rocket and Pikachu instantly blasted them with a Thunderbolt so I gave a little smirk.

"Arcanine, use Flamethrower!" I directed and Arcanine blasted a hot stream of flames at Team Rocket, which combined with Pikachu's Thunderbolt blew them into the sky with a loud boom and a large explosion of sound. They soared through the air and I shifted the stones a little closer, watching as they flew before smiling.

"We're blasting off again!" Well, at least they knew how to exit in style. I'll give them credit for that.

"Good job Arcanine. You were great." I praised, gently guiding Arcanine around and we trotted back to the others. With a laugh I tossed the Fire Stones to Ramona who caught them with a bright smile, laughing too as she opened up the bag and gazed down at her cargo.

"We did it everyone! Now, let's deliver this cargo!"

"Hold up there Ramona." I said to her as I dismounted, giving Arcanine a scratch behind the ears as I walked over to Kegan. "We'd better see to Kegan's arm first, it might be broken and I could do with some rest. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm exhausted."

"I'll have a look at that arm for you Kegan. Let me see." Brock said and together, we set to work. I helped put on a fresh, proper bandage once we were assured the bone wasn't broken but I put it in a sling as well just to make sure he didn't damage it further, making him promise me that he'd go and have it seen by a proper doctor the moment he'd finished the delivery.

We rested a while to eat and drink some water before riding off again, the Arcanine running through the night to finally arrive at our destination in the early morning, me practically asleep in Arcanine's warm fur.

Ramona and Kegan dropped off the stones and then that was that. Everything was over. I was sad to say goodbye to the Arcanine I had befriended, even more so when he gave a little whimper and nuzzled into me so that I was buried in his warm fur, but as the others began to leave, I knew it was time to go.

"I'll never forget you Arcanine. You're a great Pokémon and an even greater friend. You take care now, okay?" Arcanine gave a short bark before licking my face, making me giggle before I turned and ran to catch up with the others, taking deep breaths and closing my eyes to keep calm.

"Hey Ruby, are you okay?" Ash asked as he saw me walking with my head bowed.

"Sure Ash, why wouldn't I be?" I questioned with a shaky laugh, lifting my head and gave a smile. Looking back I paused in my walk as I saw Kegan and Ramona waving at us, their Arcanine all howling in goodbye. Taking a brave breath I smiled and waved back one last time before turning around.

Maybe one day I'll capture an Arcanine or Growlithe of my own. I'd really love it if I could, because they truly were great Pokémon, and as Dexter said, truly loyal to their trainers. Just the kind of Pokémon I'd love to have on _my_ team.


	27. Chapter 27

Gazing out across the breeze filled field I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to enjoy the hot sun and the cooling wind from the turbines we had just passed. It was quite peaceful up here and the grass smelled fresh and clean.

"Hey guys, how about we stop here and let the Pokémon out for some fresh air?" Brock suggested and Ash was instantly on it.

"Okay! Come on out everybody!" His Pokémon appeared one by one, last of all Chikorita who immediately ran up to Ash and jumped into his arms to rub her head against his face as he laughed. "I'm glad to see you too Chikorita but that tickles!" He told her with a smile as I threw all my Pokéballs up into the air.

"Everyone, it's play time!" I said cheerfully and my Pokémon all appeared too. Charizard instantly yawned and lay down on the ground for a nap, bathing in the hot sun as Vaporeon began to play with the others, spinning around and around with Togepi on her back until she was dizzy, making me giggle.

"Scyther!" Scyther nudged me gently so I looked up at him then smiled. He nudged my head one more time before leaping over to sit on a rock where he then lifted one of his blades to his mouth and began to play a whistling tune which Jigglypuff instantly began to sing to, dancing around at the base of the rock.

Pidgeot soared overhead with Pikachu on her back alongside Noctowl and I watched them fly higher as we all settled down for some rest. "Who wants a picnic lunch?" Brock asked as he began to pull out supplies and Misty's hand darted up into the air.

"I do! I do!" She called and I nodded my head as well.

"That sounds like a great idea." I told Brock.

"I'll go get some firewood with Pikachu. Hey Pika-huh?" Ash stopped short when he saw Pikachu curled up and sleeping next to Cyndaquil, grabbing a few winks after playing so much with all the Pokémon. "Guess I'd better let him rest, he must be tired. What do you say Chikorita? Wanna come help me?" He asked and Chikorita nuzzled against him.

"Chika-Chika Chikori!" She nodded her head so he stood up and began to go off in search of some firewood.

"I'll come too." I decided. "And I'll keep an eye out for any berries or fruit too." I added, following after Ash but then I felt someone tap my shoulder. "Huh?" Turning around I looked down to see my Bulbasaur following me.

"Bulbasaur! Saur!" He said with a smile so I beamed back.

"Hey Bulbasaur, do you want to come help me?" I questioned and Bulbasaur nodded his head.

"Bulba."

"Okay then, let's go catch up with Ash." I said with a gesture of my hand before jogging on ahead with Bulbasaur at my side and the egg in my arms. "Ash wait up! We're coming too!" I called and Ash stopped, turning back to smile.

"Hey Ruby, hey Bulbasaur." He gave a wave as we caught up. "Come on, let's go get that firewood!"

"Chika!" Chikorita agreed then walked close to Ash's heels. I gave a knowing smile as Chikorita gazed up at Ash adoringly. I gave a little chuckle and a shake of my head before looking up and scanning the area for any supplies.

"Hey what's that?" Ash asked as we passed a couple of turbines and I looked to see a small building with the front door wide open and the lock beside it scratched apart. I wonder what happened there. "Well the door's open." Ash noted as he walked inside. "Hello?!"

"Ash! You can't just walk in, that might be private property!" I hissed after him but he continued walking. "Oh great." I groaned before racing on inside after him with Bulbasaur running at my side. "Ash! We shouldn't be in here." I said to him as I stepped inside but the moment I did so I heard something bang behind me and I practically leaped out of my skin, jumping away from the sound before whipping around to see that the door had sealed itself shut.

"Guess the wind must have blown the door shut." Ash noted as he walked over and I shot him a dark look before whacking the back of his head lightly.

"You think?" Ash tried to pull and push it open but either way, it wouldn't budge. "Here, let me help." Together we tried to shove our weight against it but the door remained firmly in place, not budging an inch.

"Oh no, the door won't open!" Ash began to panic and hammered his fists into its surface. "Help! Somebody open the door!"

"Calm down Ash, let me try again." I said, pulling him smoothly out the way before striking it with my foot. The rebound tingled up my foot and leg, making me flinch before giving a howl of pain. "Ow! Ow that _hurt_! Who reinforces their doors these days? That's just stupid!" I cried out as I clutched my foot and hopped about, still feeling the pain shoot up my leg.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur called with worry so I shook it off and took a deep breath, pressing my eyes shut before giving a slightly forced smile.

"I'm okay." I choked a little breathlessly as Ash returned to hammering his fists against the door.

"Misty! Brock! Pikachu! Get us out of here!" I don't think they would be able to hear us, we're too far away unless Pikachu was awake. He seemed to have the most sensitive hearing out of all of us so there might be a chance he would hear Ash shouting.

"Can someone open this door?! Someone open up!" I helped with the yelling and both Chikorita and Bulbasaur helped until we heard Brock call from the other side.

"Ash, Ruby, are you both okay?" He asked and I sighed with relief as I heard Pikachu call out too.

"Pika Pi?"

"We're fine, just please get us out of here." However Brock only replied with bad news.

"That's not going to be easy. It's an electric lock and it looks fried." Oh great. Bad luck is back on the menu. Could this get any worse? I heard Misty and Brock murmur about something on the other side until Brock called a little louder. "I'm going to call the electric company and see if they can help. Hey you two, sit tight and I'm going to go get you some help!"

"Thanks Brock!" I called back before sighing with relief and slumping down to the ground. "Well, help's on the way." I said as Bulbasaur climbed into my arms alongside the egg.

"All we can do is sit around and wait." Ash said a little despondently but then Chikorita caught out attention.

"Chika! Chika Chika!" She was pointing to a spot on the map that hung on the wall with the layout of the entire building and floors, her vine tapping what looked to be a red block. Ash and I walked over to check it out, scanning over the layout as Ash blinked.

"A floor plan! Let's see…ah! It looks like there's a control room three floors down." He noted so I nodded my head.

"Maybe we can find an exit that way. There's got to be another door out of here and if we can unlock it from this side, then we can get back to the others faster than if we were waiting around for some electrician to turn up." I said to him before looking down at Bulbasaur. "You up for it Bulbasaur?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Bulba!"

"You too Chikorita, you ready?" Ash asked and Chikorita gave a battle ready expression.

"Chika." She agreed so I head over to the stairs first.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's check it out." We went down the stairs together, our Pokémon a couple of steps ahead of us but they stopped at the bottom and waited for us as we descended. No sooner had we stepped off the stairs we were faced with a hoard of Magnemite, all glaring at us and I yelped. "This doesn't look good…" I managed before they struck at us with their Thundershock all at once and we leaped out of the way with a yell.

"What are all those Magnemite doing here?" Ash asked as we ran for it, looking back over our shoulders but the Magnemite cut us off in front, staring us down before sending another electric attack at us.

"Chika!" Chikorita sprang forwards and began to whip her leaf around at top speed, deflecting the attack smartly.

"Yeah! Way to go Chikorita!" Both Ash and I called before Bulbasaur wrapped his vine around my wrist and tugged me towards an empty hall, trying to lead us away.

"Bulbasaur!"

"Great thinking Bulbasaur, come on Ash, let's go!" Just then there were Thundershock attacks from both sides, one of them hitting my leg and I yelped from the shock before racing away with a panic stricken face.

"We've got to get away from those things!" Ash whined as we ran.

"For the record, I blame _you_ for this genius!" I accused but didn't stop running. We kept on going straight, completely losing our way until we found ourselves at a dead end, blocked off by the Magnemite who faced us down.

"Our only chance to get away is to battle our way out! Ruby you with me?" Ash asked and I hardened my face with a smirk.

"Ready." I nodded before turning to face the Magnemite. "Okay Bulbasaur, get ready."

"You too Chikorita." Both Pokémon sprang forwards and faced the Magnemite without fear as Ash and I both called in the same voice. "Razor Leaf!" Both Bulbasaur and Chikorita fired their shots, knocking out the Magnemite one by one but every time they did, another just took its place. "Oh no, the more of them we knock out the more that keep on showing up." Ash said as I swallowed slowly, trying to think.

Just then a Magneton appeared, making us all gasp as it began to glow at its three eyes. I think that's a Thunderbolt attack, we're in trouble! "Chikorita!" Ash called as Chikorita stood in the way of the attack.

"Bulbasaur!" I darted forwards and swept him off the ground as Ash caught Chikorita in a roll, shielding her from the attack which blasted down at us and missed by inches, though I could practically feel the crackling electricity. "Ash, we've got to get out of here!" I called as I stood.

"Chika!" Chikorita pointed to the shutter behind us to reveal it had been blasted open by the Magneton, accidentally providing us with an escape route.

"A staircase!" Ash saw so he leaped to his feet. "Come on guys, let's go!" We raced through the small gap and down the stairs, not stopping until we were sure the Magnemite hadn't followed. "Well that was a pretty close call." Ash sighed as he began to relax but I remained on edge.

"What were all those Pokémon doing here anyway?" I questioned. "Are they trying to protect something down here?"

"Who cares? At least they're not after us anymore." Ash answered so I let it slide, though it still bothered me. "Now come on, the control room is down one more level." Ash said before rushing off ahead.

"Ash wait, don't get lost!" I yelped and quickly hurried after him. We found ourselves entering a large room with air vents lifted up from the ground, blowing cool air into the room and I shivered. "It's cold in here." I said quietly, looking around me with worry.

"Just another floor down and we'll be out in the sunlight again, don't you worry Ruby." Ash said to me gently then placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me a little closer to him. "Here, we'll keep each other warm!" He smiled before continuing to walk and pulled me along with him. I blinked in surprise, going a little stiff with his arm around me but I didn't argue. "Wonder how we get downstairs." Ash said as he looked around.

"I don't know, maybe we took a wrong turn?" I suggested as we walked together. Suddenly an Electrode blocked our path ahead, cutting us off and glared at us angrily.

"Oh great, this time it's an Electrode!" Ash grumped as Chikorita lowered her head, preparing to charge but Ash looked down at her. "Hold on Chikorita, don't get it excited. We'll just find another way down." Ash said to her.

"Uh…Ash?" I tapped him on the shoulder. "You might want to rethink that strategy." I told him and he looked as three other Electrode appeared, blocking us in effectively. "Any suggestions?"

"Uh…you talk to them?" I shot him a look.

"No way, look what happened to me last time I tried to do that. I am not doing that again." I vowed but then an Electrode rolled towards us, gliding over the floors at top speed. "Vine Whip Bulbasaur, go!" I directed and Bulbasaur instantly shot out his vines at the Electrode, slapping them against it but without any effect. It dove straight for us so we all leaped back with a yelp, watching as it turned then began to glow. Wait, Electrode can't evolve further, so that must mean…it's using Self-Destruct!

"The Electrode are gonna explode! Come on, we better run for it!" Before I knew what was happening Ash had grabbed my hand and yanked me backwards, dragging me at a run away from the Electrode as it exploded and the others all chased after us as we yelled.

We left that room pronto, running down the corridor and took a sharp turn as one of the Electrode appeared in front of us and self-destructed as well. "These things are everywhere!" Ash noted as we ran, him still pulling me along.

"Well maybe next time you'll think before walking into a highly secure facility!" I answered back, checking to make sure Bulbasaur was keeping up. He was moving quickly but I could see him beginning to pant for breath and sweat slightly from all the running. He wasn't a young Pokémon and this panic must be affecting him. "Bulbasaur, Vine Whip on me and climb on!" I called and instantly he latched onto my hand which I held out to him, letting him then jump up and pull himself onto my back where he held on and I carried him.

"Quick, in here!" Ash flung open a door and I shot through with Chikorita at my heels and Ash instantly slammed the door shut. "That was close. I can't take much more of this." He said, placing a hand on his chest as I breathed heavily, heart pumping fast.

"You okay Bulbasaur?" I asked with a glance back and he nodded his head, vines wrapped under my arms to keep himself supported.

"Bulba." He assured me so I smiled and reached back with one hand to rub his head.

"Good. That's good." I breathed deeply before turning on Ash. "Okay genius, now what?"

"We go down the stairs, obviously." Ash said as he walked towards the staircase I had failed to notice. "Just one more flight and we're in the control room, what else could happen now?" Don't jinx it genius. You owe me big time after all this.

So I followed Ash down the stairs and through another set of complicated corridors. "The map said it was around here somewhere." Ash said slowly as he searched for a door that hopefully led to the control room. "Hey!" Ash suddenly called excitedly so I turned to see what he'd spotted. "An Electabuzz!" And so things go downhill from here.

"Electabuzz, the electric Pokémon. Electabuzz is the evolved form of Elekid with powerful electric currents constantly coursing through its body, Electabuzz appears to glow." Dexter informed us as the Electabuzz prowled closer to us with a mean looking attitude. Not good.

The sparks on its antenna suddenly glowed and struck out with an electric attack, forcing us to leap backwards out of the way. "So you're going to hassle us too huh? Okay Chikorita, get ready to battle!" Ash said and Chikorita instantly leaped forwards.

"You hang back Bulbasaur." I said to him as he moved to join the fight. "Let Ash handle this." I turned to watch the battle as Electabuzz came forwards with an electric fist. "Watch out you two, that's a Thunder Punch!" I warned so Ash countered quickly.

"Quick, dodge it Chikorita!" Chikorita smartly leaped backwards and the blow landed on the ground, smashing the tiles as Electabuzz missed its mark. "Great now try a Razor Leaf." Ash told Chikorita who instantly complied, sending a series of sharp spinning leaves at Electabuzz who sent a Thundershock at them, making them disintegrate in the air. Electabuzz then followed up with Swift which hit Chikorita and flung her backwards but she landed easily on her feet, still able to battle. "Stay focused Chikorita, just hold steady for its next attack!" The Thunderbolt came and Chikorita dodged quickly and easily. "Now hurry and use your Vine Whip attack!"

Chikorita smacked Electabuzz on the head with her Vine Whip, making it flinch and stumble backwards. "Now Tackle it Chikorita!" Chikorita slammed her weight into Electabuzz, forcing it to stumble back a step. "Tackle it again!" Chikorita charged forwards but Electabuzz was prepared this time, its fist clenched and crackling with energy.

"Vine Whip!" I called and pointed to Chikorita where Bulbasaur instantly leaped forwards and grabbed Chikorita, pulling her out the way so the Thunder Punch missed and Chikorita was put safely down again where she turned a smile to Bulbasaur.

"Thanks Ruby." Ash said to me as I stepped up beside him.

"Don't mention it." I answered before pointing at Electabuzz. "Now Bulbasaur, use Solar Beam!"

"Bulba! Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur gathered light into its bulb then blasted it out at Electabuzz who took the full hit and sent Electabuzz flying. "Excellent Bulbasaur, that was fast work." I praised and he nodded his head in thanks.

"Bulbasaur." As Electabuzz rose back to its feet it glared at all of us, crackling with electric all over its body before barrelling towards us again with its fist raised.

"Alright Chikorita, let's use Tackle one more time!" Ash called and I pointed ahead also.

"Bulbasaur, stop that Thunder Punch with your Vine Whip to protect Chikorita!" The both of them leaped forwards and the collision course was set, Bulbasaur using his vines to reach out and almost snagged Electabuzz's fist, but then a cage suddenly dropped down on all three of them, trapping them inside. "Bulbasaur!" I gasped in fear as he looked around, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Hey, where'd that cage come from?" Ash demanded. Just then Jessie dropped down from the air vent above, landing on top of the cage then stood with a victorious smirk.

"Ha! Prepare for trouble." She announced as James then dropped down beside her in a similar fashion.

"Make it double." He advised as both Ash and I glanced at one another then to our Pokémon as they tried to smash their way out.

"To protect the world from devastation." Jessie began and I instantly grew angry, glaring as I tipped my hat backwards and twisted my neckerchief around to focus on the next step in our plan. Maybe Chikorita and Bulbasaur could use their Razor Leaf to cut through the bars and Electabuzz could use Swift to help, or perhaps a Thunder Punch would make short work of it?

"To unite all people with in our nation." James carried on.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above." Suddenly they both leaned forwards with intense looks, their eyes boring into mine and I drew back slightly. Okay, these guys have to be insane.

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!" A burst of light came from behind Jessie and Wobbuffet appeared, spreading his arms up with a wide grin.

"Wob!" He finished in place of Meowth who kicked him aside with a glare.

"Quiet blobby!" I shook my head, pulling myself together as Ash took a step forwards.

"Alright you losers, let our Pokémon go!"

"And that Electabuzz too. You're not going to take any of them." I said, standing sideways on and without realising it, mirrored Ash's body stance also. Weird. I guess we've been spending too much time together.

"Sorry no can do." Jessie trilled lightly with a wave of her hand.

"Chikorita, Bulbasaur and Electabuzz belong to us now." James told us and I instantly growled under my breath. The Pokémon didn't seem to like that idea either as Chikorita and Bulbasaur both struck at the bars with their Razor Leaf and Electabuzz tried to blast it open with a Thunderbolt but nothing made an effect. Not even a scratch!

"They can attack as much as they want but they ain't getting out of that cage." Meowth said as they all laughed with glee.

"It absorbs electric attacks and those bars are too strong to break or bend." James revealed so I took a deep breath. Okay, if attacks won't work then we'll just have to steal them back, no way am I letting them get away with my Bulbasaur.

"Have a nice day!" Jessie blew us a kiss before they suddenly ran for it, wheeling the cage away on a trolley.

"Hey! You get back here!" I yelled then bolted forwards, holding the egg securely and tried not to jostle it but I ran as fast as I could with Ash close behind. "You're not going to get away!" They ran straight for the open elevator and dove inside with the doors closing right behind them. "No!" I yelled, trying to reach the doors but I just wasn't fast enough.

"Too late, we'd better take the stairs." He said to me as I slid the egg into my bag.

"Right." I nodded my head, slinging my bag onto my back and securing it there so that I could run faster. "Don't worry Bulbasaur, I'm coming for you." I murmured to myself as I ran. We found the stairs easily enough and climbed them all without hassle, making our ascent much faster and when we reached the room where we had started, the door was wide open. "Look! The electrician must have fixed it." I said as we raced outside.

"That means Brock and Misty must be looking for us." Ash said, glancing back but we didn't stop. "But we've got to get our Pokémon back. We can't let Team Rocket win."

"You said it Ash." I agreed as we saw them heading down a cliff path. "This way!" I pointed and we ran towards the edge where it sloped down directly to the path Team Rocket were heading down. "Come on Ash, we've got to do this." I said, taking his hand and together we jumped.

Skidding down the slope I gripped onto Ash for balance as he also depended on me, our shoes kicking up dust before we finally landed in front of Team Rocket, cutting them off. We let go of one another's hand and took an intimidating step towards Team Rocket as they gasped. "It's the twerps!"

"You're not getting away, not with my Chikorita!" Ash told them protectively and I saw Chikorita beam with joy as she called out to Ash.

"Chikori!"

"And not with my Bulbasaur. So Team Rocket, you better prepare for trouble, because we intend to make it double." I called out but Jessie instantly turned into a raging tempest.

"Well, we'll just see about that! Arbok go!" Arbok appeared and I took a deep breath. It's alright, Arbok won't attack me, we're safe as long as I stand in front of Ash.

"Victreebel, I choose you!" The plant Pokémon instantly bit down on James, consuming half his body so that his legs kicked out wildly. "No not me, get them!"

"Arbok, launch a Poison Sting attack!" Jessie directed and Arbok instantly slithered forwards, opening his mouth wide but I instantly jumped out in front of Ash and flung out my hands to shield him.

"No Arbok! Stop right there!" I yelled and instantly Arbok froze in place. Arbok gave a torn look, glancing between me and Jessie who instantly screeched.

"What are you doing? Attack them already!"

"Victreebel, it's up to you! Use Razor Leaf on that twerpette!" James ordered and Victreebel instantly turned on me. The leaves stung with each hit and I shielded my face, taking the hits for both me and Ash as I remained standing in front of him.

"Ruby no!" Ash suddenly grabbed me and pulled me back, turning around and tried to shield me instead as Arbok finally caved in to Jessie's ranting and raving and attacked with Poison Sting though was careful not to hit me. Guess there's only so many times you can say no to Jessie.

"Ash, we have to think of something!" I yelled just a moment before I felt Victreebel slam into us, separating me from Ash who was instantly put into Arbok's wrap. "Ash! No!"

"Ruby watch out!" Helplessly I turned around and before I could do anything was being slapped by Victreebel's Vine Whip several times before it constricted around me, making it hard to breathe and it only got tighter from there.

"Get ready now Arbok."

"You too Victreebel." James added before they chorused together. "Attack them together!" Suddenly we were tackled at the same time and flung back in the air, landing on the ground hard and I felt the wind being knocked from my lungs, sending me into shock as I lay on my side, trembling in pain. Ash began to try and force himself up and I turned, looking to Bulbasaur who had tears in his eyes.

"Bulbasaur…" I choked then followed Ash's example and tried to get up. I got to my knees but the moment I tried to put weight on my feet they gave out and I had to plant my hands in the ground to keep from landing on my face again.

"I want…Chikorita…back." Ash said determinedly as I took a deep breath. "Chikorita!"

"Bulbasaur!" Our two Pokémon called back with loud voices and I could feel their pain and despair even without needing to be connected to them.

"Chikori!"

"Bulba!" Suddenly they both began to glow, making my eyes widen in shock as I gasped.

"Something's happening!"

"They're evolving…they're evolving!" I laughed, feeling suddenly renewed. "They're evolving for us Ash!" We both watched as our Pokémon both grew bigger and into different shapes. The bulb on Bulbasaur's back sprouted a little with two leaves but Chikorita made the biggest difference. She grew larger with a longer neck, her leaf grew broader and the little buds on her neck grew out into full leaves.

Both together the light disappeared and they beamed at us. "Bay!"

"Ivysaur!" My Bulbasaur was now an Ivysaur! That's so amazing!

"Awesome!" Ash laughed for joy and Misty called out.

"Your Chikorita just evolved into a Bayleef!" Huh? When did Misty, Brock and that strange woman arrive? Oh well, guess I was distracted. I've got a new Pokémon! That means I'll have to find another charm to add to my bracelet.

"We've got a Bayleef!" Jessie gasped in amazement as James punched the air.

"That's even better than a Chikorita!"

"Let's make our getaway!" Meowth celebrated but I stepped forwards, clutching my side where it hurt but still, I didn't back down and neither did Ash.

"Not so fast. Those are still our Pokémon you've got there. Ivysaur!"

"Bayleef!" Ash responded and together we called out our attack. "Use Razor Leaf!" The two of them struck out with their Razor Leaf and together, smashed right through the bars and made James squeal in shock but I was already limping forwards to my Ivysaur.

"Ivysaur! You're alright!" I laughed with relief as I fell to my knees and flung my arms around him as he stood up on his hind legs and licked my cheeks, happy to be reunited again.

"That was great you two! You're free! Are you all okay?" Ash asked as Bayleef and the Electabuzz faced him and they both nodded their heads. "Team Rocket." Ash's face suddenly grew serious and angry and I looked also as Ivysaur spun around to face them.

"I think it's time you paid for what you've done." The new lady announced as Pikachu leaped forwards and joined the line of Pokémon as they glared at Team Rocket. "Go Electabuzz!"

"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt attack!" The double power hit shocked Team Rocket, making them cry out as they were struck. "Now let's get rid of them Bayleef. Use your Vine Whip attack!"

"Ivysaur, you help out too!" I added and Ivysaur instantly let his vines slap against Team Rocket with more power than ever before alongside Bayleef. Together they were sent flying up into the air, Pokémon and all.

"We're blasting off again!" They cried and I gave a short laugh.

"Not a moment too soon." I said before turning to Ivysaur who was running towards me. "Ivysaur! I'm so proud of you! You were amazing!" I praised and instantly held him tight as Ash turned to his Bayleef.

"You were awesome Bayleef!" He flung his arms around her with a laugh and she rubbed her head into his cheek with the brightest and widest smile I had ever seen on a Pokémon.

"Bay, Bay!" Once we were certain everyone was okay we went back to where all the Pokémon were still having their afternoon nap, seemingly unaware we had left in the first place.

"Wow, I don't think they even noticed we were gone." I said as I carried the egg in my arms again. Ivysaur gave a large yawn beside me then walked over to where Pidgeot nested with Vaporeon tucked against her feathers and he lay down for a nap, not wasting a moment to catch up on the hour he'd just lost. I giggled before looking up to the sky where Charizard was soaring overhead. "Hey Charizard! You noticed I was gone, right?" In answer he landed on the ground and gave a very angry growl, glaring down at me but I just gave him my sweetest smile. "I'm sorry, I promise I won't run off like that again but you know how it is." I gave a pointed incline of my head over at Ash who also crashed out with his Pokémon, falling asleep on the floor. "Someone has to keep Ash from getting himself killed."

Charizard sighed before lowering his head and nuzzling against me with a worried whine so I hugged him securely. "Don't worry, I'm alright." Then I noticed the firewood in his arms. "Hey! You got the wood! That's great Charizard, I knew I could rely on you." I laughed, giving him a kiss which made him blush but in return he slathered my tongue all over my face, making me squeal and giggle until Brock called for the firewood.

So we spent the rest of the afternoon lazing away, Ash using Bayleef as a comfortable pillow and she curled up around him. When it comes to Pokémon affection, I doubted there was anyone who could love Ash more than Bayleef. Except maybe Pikachu, but even then, it's a tough call.


	28. Chapter 28

"Here we are! Now to find that gym and win that badge!" Ash announced as he raced on ahead through the streets of Olivine City.

"Slow down Ash, the gym's not going anywhere you know." I said to him as I walked a little more calmly back with Brock and Misty.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get my next badge and then move on to the next gym, then the sooner we get to the Johto League!" Ash called back over his shoulder before shooting off. I gave a sigh and shook my head. That Ash.

"Aren't you excited for your battle Ruby?" Misty asked me and I nodded my head with a smile.

"Of course I am, I really can't wait. It's just that I know if I get too excited I'll become nervous like I did at my first gym battle which might have cost me big time if I hadn't managed to pull myself together." I explained before looking ahead at Ash. "Though I think Ash is just a permanently excited kid."

"I agree. He's always thinking about gym battles and the Johto League. I heard him sleep talking last night and I think he was dreaming that he'd won the entire thing and you'd come second with Gary being knocked out at the first round." I gave a giggle. That would be a dream come true to Ash, him beating Gary by miles. Still, dreams and fantasies don't come true without hard work and Ash just never seems to put in enough effort.

"Hey guys, if we want to keep up with Ash, I suggest we hurry things up a little." Brock said so we all gave an excited smile before running after him. The gym was neatly built and pretty smart looking with steel plates covering the sloping surfaces of the walls. Ash was already hammering his fists on the door, demanding to be let inside.

"Open up! I've come for a gym battle!" He yelled, continuing to try and break the door down himself so I sighed, shook my head then snagged the back of his jacket with one hand to yank him back. "Hey! Let me at 'em!"

"Try using your head, genius." I told him in a deadpan tone. "Maybe you'll be able to smash your way through that way." Ash blinked at me, stunned for a moment before clenching a fist and smirking.

"Right!" The idiot barrelled forwards so I maintained grip on his jacket, keeping him anchored to the ground as he lowered his head and ran on the spot, kicking up a pile of dust as he tried to charge at the door. Well, at least there's never a dull moment with Ash Ketchum around. I remember in school how he'd always ask the dumbest of questions but still somehow made everyone laugh, thinking he was just kidding around despite him being serious.

Suddenly the doors opened and a young girl's voice called out from within the shadow filled gym. "Welcome trainers!" It echoed, bouncing off the smart walls. "You may now enter the gym!" So we stepped inside, Ash finally calmed down and we entered together. "Walk straight ahead to the battlefield." The voice directed so we did as we were told though it was all still pretty dark.

"It feels pretty spooky in here." Misty worried quietly but I just smiled.

"You know what this reminds me of?" I asked then turned to Brock. "I feel as if I'm stepping in Pewter City gym for the first time. Dark and mysterious, just like now." Brock gave a little laugh.

"You're right. I guess it does feel a little like home." He agreed as we reached a door.

"You may enter!" The little girl called out again and the doors slid apart to reveal a dimly lit battlefield which was suddenly flooded with lights, revealing it to be an ordinary ground field with no obstructions. "Which of you dares to challenge me to a Pokémon battle?" The voice asked confidently so both Ash and I stepped forwards, speaking in unison.

"I do!" Slowly the doors at the very end of the battlefield parted with bright light behind a silhouette of a girl, who stood as still as a statue.

"I'm Jasmine, the leader of the Olivine City gym. They call me the battling beauty." Hey, that's what my mom used to be called! She can't be called that! That's copyright! The girl herself was pretty small, with short black hair and a yellow dress with a green bag which she wore across her shoulder and at her waist.

"Well I'm Ash Ketchum." Ash said in his battle ready voice so I turned to face Jasmine as well.

"And I'm Ruby Bates. We're from Pallet Town." I revealed, throwing down a hand to spread at my side whilst holding my egg in the other, eyes narrowed and focused on Jasmine as she look at us finally.

"We're here for a Mineral Badge, and we challenge you to get one!" Ash finished so Jasmine stepped forwards, looking at us with intense brown eyes.

"I'll battle both of you, but you first Ash. This will be a three on three Pokémon match. Ready?" Jasmine said so Ash stepped up to the plate.

"You bet." Jasmine nodded before sending out her first Pokémon.

"Alright, Onix! Go!" No way! This gym uses rock type too? Now that's definitely a trip down memory lane. The Onix appeared and I instantly stared in awe at its shiny hide, gleaming effortlessly and I instantly wanted to know how Jasmine got her Pokémon so shiny like that.

"Okay, Totodile go!" Ash called and sent his happy dancing Pokémon out onto the field. Instantly Totodile began to dance and kick up its feet whilst chanting, making me giggle. I sure hope Totodile never stops dancing like that. It's just so cute.

"Hm…a water Pokémon." Jasmine said before smirking. "I knew it. Onix, Tackle now!" Jasmine ordered and Onix instantly reared back to plough down with extra force but Ash remained calm.

"Totodile, Water Gun!" Hang on, where's the referee? Why weren't the rules called out first and how is a Pokémon going to be ruled unable to battle? This doesn't make any sense at all. Just then Totodile's Water Gun made contact with Onix, making it stop it's attack and rear back again as it got a spout of water full in the face.

"Alright!" Brock cheered as Misty smiled.

"That should take care of it." I bit my lip and closed my eyes before looking up at the Onix, who suddenly opened its eyes then charged down at Totodile, straight through the water! Okay, something's definitely wrong here. I've got to stop this!

The moment Onix's head connected with the ground I ran onto the battlefield, making everyone call out my name in fear as Onix drew back and Totodile was thrown backwards but managed to land on his feet. "Stop the match. Stop the match right now!" I commanded, standing between Onix and Totodile.

"Ruby what are you doing?" Ash demanded hotly so I turned a sharp glare on him.

"Listen genius, if you weren't so eager to battle, you'd realise that this match doesn't have any rules or a referee, and how did that Onix brush off that Water Gun attack? Rock types are weak against water. Well?" I turned around and glared over at Jasmine, holding my egg tightly. "Care to explain Jasmine? Or is that really your name?" I questioned and Jasmine drew back with a panicked expression, sweating slightly at the brow.

"Well…you see…"

"Everyone stop right now." An older voice ordered and we all turned to see a young woman standing at the doorway with a Magnemite at her shoulder. She wore a pretty pale dress and had long brown hair, yet she was giving Jasmine a hard glare. "I'm sorry to have to stop you like this but this is not a legitimate match." She informed so I gave Ash a victorious smirk.

"Told you so." Suddenly Brock went all goofy.

"I'm in love! We must be in heaven!" But Ash wasn't impressed at all.

"What's going on? We're trying to fight an important battle here." He shot to the newcomer who began to walk forwards.

"A gym battle must be fought with the leader of the gym." Oh…so this pretend Jasmine was not actually the gym leader. Why that little sneak! What did she do that for?

"Right! That's exactly what I'm doing!" Ash returned desperately but the woman shook her head.

"No you're not. _I'm_ Jasmine." Ash blinked in surprise, now looking completely dumbfounded. "This young girl is one of my apprentices and should certainly know better." Just then the girl tried to tiptoe away but the real Jasmine wasn't going to let her get off that easy. "Janina."

"Yes?" She squeaked.

"Please come with me for a moment."

"Okay." She answered like a little mouse before hanging her head in shame. "Onix return." Then rather meekly, she followed after Jasmine but she stopped at the door, turned and gave us a little bow. "I apologise for tricking you." Instantly my hard exterior softened and my mouth dropped open a little, watching as she followed after her gym leader.

"I just don't understand why Totodile's Water Gun attack didn't work." Ash said, looking down at the ground in thought.

"That Janina sure was a tough battler, that must mean the gym leader is almost unbeatable. Right Brock?" But he was off in good land, so I picked up the threads.

"Maybe. Or maybe Janina played another trick to help her win." I suggested, turning to Ash. "Maybe she used some sort of repellent to deflect the water's effects against Onix so that it would be stronger against water types. It's been done before you know, I read it in the paper with my dad a few years ago, some kid had won loads of gym battles by using some sort of wax on his rock type Pokémon so they were practically unbeatable. When he was found out, he got all his badges taken away from him and he's now barred from entering any kind of league."

"You think so?" Ash lifted his head, perking up a little so I gave a confident smile and nodded my head.

"I'm sure of it. We all saw how shiny that Onix was." Ash relaxed a little and by that time, Jasmine had returned.

"I'm so sorry for Janina's appalling behaviour and normally I would make it up to you by inviting you for a proper gym battle, but unfortunately I'm not physically or emotionally able to give you a good fight." She said sadly and I blinked at her.

"Why? What's wrong? Are you sick or something?" I asked tenderly but she shook her head with a sigh.

"No, it's my little Sparkle. It's just not feeling well and I just can't seem to think of anything else." She told us and Ash scratched the back of his head.

"Your little Sparkle?" He questioned but then a phone began to ring.

"This is Jasmine. Yes. Yes." She said, listening closely before nodding her head. "I'll be right there." She promised before looking at us. "I'm sorry, I have to go." And then she left. Just like that. But what about our gym battle? Oh well, guess we'll have to go to another town to get one.

"Come on guys. We should probably go." I said, starting to walk away but as Brock remained standing without moving a muscle, tongue hanging out as he grovelled after Jasmine I stormed back and grabbed his ear. "Come on lover boy, even if Jasmine could think I doubt you would be at the forefront of her mind." Misty gave a giggle as I marched past them, dragging Brock with me.

"It's nice to see the effect from a different angle for a change." She said before hurrying after us. We walked through the city, kinda at a loss as to what to do. In the end we went for a walk in the park to see for some peace and relaxation, but no one felt like talking much, we were all too busy wondering who Sparkle was.

"I hope she's okay." Ash said worriedly as we walked along.

"I wonder who Sparkle is." Brock mused before suddenly his eyes lit up. "Hey! Maybe it's her cousin! Do you think she's as pretty as Jasmine?" For that I whacked him on the back of the head.

"For your sake Brock, I hope not." I answered him with a pointed glare.

"When do you think she'll be ready to battle you two?" Misty asked and Ash yelled aloud, stopping short in his tracks.

"That's right! I gotta go find out!" He spun around and began to race back to the gym but I grabbed the back of his jacket and held him in place as he ran.

"Cool it genius. You won't find Jasmine at the gym, remember? She's not there anymore." I said and he stopped running so I let him go.

"Oh…right. So what do we do Ruby?" He asked so I frowned in thought, trying to figure out some sort of plan. Maybe we should just try and find another gym to battle at? Or even better, try to find Jasmine to see if there's anything we can do to help make Sparkle feel better.

"Hey look over there." Misty said and we all turned to see Janina scrubbing the wax off of her Onix a little distance from where we were standing. Ash instantly hurried forwards so we followed after him.

"Hey Janina!" Ash called and she stopped her scrubbing and looked around to find us stopping at the edge of the sand pit she had her Onix resting in.

"I'm sorry I played that trick on you." She said with a polite bow so I gave her a smile.

"That's okay, we all want to help our Pokémon grow strong and I'm betting you were only trying to help Jasmine out." I said to her. "We understand. Right Ash?"

"Sure we do." He agreed. "It's not that big of a deal. We were just wondering if you knew where we could find Jasmine right now." Ash told her so Janina smiled and nodded her head.

"I know where she is, I'm pretty sure she'll be at the Shining Lighthouse down on the wharf." She told us and Ash was off like a rocket.

"Thanks!" He called over his shoulder, rushing away before any of us could stop him. He ran so fast that not even I could catch up with him until he had stopped running once we'd reached the wharf.

"You know Ash, I think you're starting to get into shape with all this walking." I said, breathing deeply as my heart pounded. "The last time I saw you run so fast was when your mom opened the buffet table at Professor Oak's Summer Camp when we were seven." Ash tossed back a smile.

"She'd done my favourite pizza puff pies, I _had_ to get there before they were all gone." He excused so I gave him a look but couldn't stop a smile.

"Yeah, and _you_ were the one who finished them all." Misty and Brock laughed as we walked towards the lighthouse before we all stopped and looked up, seeing not one, but two lighthouses. So…which one's the shining one?

"Wait a minute, I see two lighthouses." Ash said but Brock was already on the case.

"Yeah. The closest one to us is the Shining Lighthouse and it's got quite a history." He explained, flicking through the pages of the guidebook as I looked at the lighthouse nearest to us. It was made of old brick, much unlike the newer one that stood behind it.

"And Jasmine should be up there, right?" Misty was saying as I admired the lighthouses.

"So come on, let's go." Ash said with a wave of his hand then rushed to the door with us close behind.

"This place must have a lot of history. It's old but still well preserved." I reached out and opened the doors, letting us all in and we stepped inside to find a neatly polished floor and a lot of space, with stairs winding up to the top of the lighthouse.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

"Jasmine! It's your one and only Brock!" I gave a little giggle, shifting the egg in my arms before heading towards the stairs.

"Maybe's she's at the top. Come on Ash, I'll race you!"

"You're on!" He laughed then ran after me, trying to catch up as I took the stairs two at a time, Brock and Misty trailing along behind. We climbed and climbed, slowly winding down until we were puffed out of breath. "I think we misjudged how many stairs there were." Ash groaned as I lay down on the steps.

"Yeah…big mistake." I agreed. We caught back our breath and walked the rest of the way, emerging up at the top of the lighthouse to find ourselves faced with a sick looking Pokémon unlike I've ever seen before. It was yellow with black stripes, with a red orb on the top of its head and the end of its tail. Seeing its colouring and pattern, I instantly thought of Casey. What she wouldn't give for a Pokémon like that.

"What Pokémon is that?" Ash asked as I pulled out Dexter.

"Ampharos, the light Pokémon. Ampharos emits a strong light from the tip of its tail which can be seen over long distances and serve as a guide to those who are lost." That's pretty neat, it's a cute looking Pokémon too, one I would just love to hug and cuddle all the time.

"Does that mean this Ampharos is the one who makes the light come from the Shining Lighthouse?" Misty asked as the Ampharos lifted its weak head. Instantly I walked over and lifted a hand gently, giving a soft smile.

"Easy now, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Ruby, and you don't look so well." I said to it gently as I knelt down, put the egg in front of the Pokémon then rested a hand on its forehead. The Ampharos leaned into my touch, closing its eyes and relaxing instantly, giving a weak smile so I stroked it gently. Looks like this one isn't shy to strangers.

Its temperature was sky high and its coat has lost all of its sheen, meaning that something was definitively wrong. "Hey look." Ash said so I lifted my head and saw Jasmine climb up another flight of stairs with an older looking man behind her.

"Oh, hello again." She said with a welcoming smile.

"You know these children?" They guy asked as he and Jasmine came closer.

"These three trainers came to the Olivine City gym today looking for a Pokémon battle. We met earlier." She explained so the man nodded and turned a smile to us.

"I'm Jasmine's grandfather Myrin." He introduced so we all bowed or nodded our heads.

"Nice to meet you." I chorused with the others before continuing to check the Ampharos. With a fever like that, it needed some proper medicine. However, I do have some Moo-Moo milk with me, I've got into the habit of buying it whenever I can because all my Pokémon love it and it's super healthy for them. Maybe that'll help a little.

"What are you doing?" Jasmine questioned worriedly as I dug through my bag.

"Don't worry, I'm just going to give Ampharos some Miltank milk, it might help it feel a little better. Is this Sparkle?" I asked and Jasmine nodded her head.

"Yes, this is my little Sparkle. I've been so worried ever since she got sick, and she's not getting better." Jasmine told me as I poured some milk into a bowl then set it down close to Sparkle's head.

"Here you go Sparkle, this is guaranteed to make you feel a little bit better. It's very nutritious, but also tasty." I said with a smile so Sparkle lifted her head, sniffed the milk then took a sip. Instantly she smiled and guzzled it all down, licking the bowl clean before purring gently and rubbing her head against me. "There, you look a little better already." I said, stroking her head as Jasmine smiled.

"I didn't know Miltank milk was so good for Pokémon. Maybe I should get more for my little Sparkle." She thought aloud before blinking. "Oh I'm sorry, I'm being very rude. Was there something you all came here for?" I looked at Ash who nodded his head then turned to Jasmine.

"Actually, we were wondering when you'd be able to battle us for our next gym badge." He said but Jasmine hung her head.

"I'm sorry, but until Sparkle gets better, I can't make any promises." She said as her grandfather stepped forwards.

"I'll explain it to you kids. Long ago, before there was electricity, we relied on the light of Ampharos's tail to help guide the ships into port and keep them from colliding with the cliffs. Even when a new electric lighthouse was built, it's become a tradition to keep this lighthouse lit as well, as people love and adore its historical value here. But since Sparkle has become so ill, the light on its tail has got very weak, it's got everybody worried." Myrin explained as Jasmine stroked her Ampharos.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help Sparkle?" Ash asked as we got a little closer.

"Actually, I've ordered a very rare and powerful medicine from the pharmacy in Cianwood City." He told us. "I just got a call to tell me that it's ready and we can come pick it up any time."

"I wanted to send Janina to go get it but after I saw her play that trick on you I sent her away, and now there's no one to go." Jasmine said sadly so I stood up quickly with a clenched fist, egg back in my arms and bag on my back.

"Well then here's your answer!" I declared and Ash nodded his head.

"Right! We'll go get you the medicine Jasmine, we'll bring it back here for Sparkle and it'll be better in no time!"

"Really? You'd do that? Oh thank you!"

"Cianwood City is just across the water, right?" Misty asked Myrin who nodded his head.

"The boat will be leaving soon so you'd better hurry." He said to us so I clapped my hands.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go! Oh, but I want to stop at the Pokémon Centre first to do something, is there time to go there and get back to the boat?" I asked and Myrin nodded his head.

"If you're fast, it leaves in half an hour. I'll arrange for your passage over with the captain." He told us so I gave a little squeak then ran back down the stairs, shouting over my shoulder.

"Then come on guys what are we waiting for let's go, go, go!" I ran even faster than Ash had before, running all the way to the Pokémon Centre and leaving the others far behind to call up Professor Oak.

"Hello there Ruby, how are you getting on? It's been a while." Professor Oak said with a smile so I gave a quick wave.

"Hi professor, I was just wondering if you would send over my Dragonair. I really want to start training with it now, is that okay?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Sure but according to my information, you already have six Pokémon in your party and you can't carry any more. You'll have to send one back." That's right, I forgot. So which one should I send? "I have an idea, how about you send me your Scyther? With Tracey's own Scyther helping us out, it gets tired pretty quickly since it's quite old, however it's still a very powerful Pokémon. If you send Scyther over, I'm sure it can learn a thing or two."

"Right!" I smiled, eyes shining. "That's a great idea professor, hold on." I picked up Scyther's Pokéball and looked down at it. "Now you listen well Scyther and make sure you do everything Professor Oak and Tracey ask, okay? I'll see you again soon." I promised before sending Scyther over. Almost the second Scyther had disappeared, Dragonair's Pokéball came back and I picked it up with a smile. "Welcome back to the crew Dragonair, I've missed you! And I know Vaporeon has as well."

"Your Scyther is now safe with me. Good luck Ruby, I'll be waiting to hear from you and Ash again soon." Professor Oak said so I gave him a confident smile.

"We'll be sure to let you know how we're getting on. See you soon!" With that I signed off then quickly raced back down to the harbour. I found the others and our vessel, a small but fast boat to carry us across the water. "We ready?" I asked and they all nodded their heads.

"Sure. What did you need to get at the Pokémon Centre?" Misty asked so I drew out Dragonair's Pokéball.

"Dragonair, say hello!" I called and my beautiful Pokémon appeared, tall and regal with sparkles dancing off her coat as she lifted her head and gave a soft call in her song like voice. "Dragonair! I've missed you so much!" I laughed, throwing my arms around her as she lowered down her head and began to nuzzle into me affectionately as everyone else laughed.

"It seems like forever. How you doing Dragonair?" Ash asked and Dragonair nodded her head to him.

"Oh it's so beautiful, even more beautiful than I remember it!" Misty sighed dreamily as Togepi chirped in agreement. I noticed Jasmine and Myrin walking towards us so I turned to greet them but Jasmine was gazing at Dragonair.

"Is that your Dragonair?" She asked and I nodded my head proudly.

"Yeah, I raised her from a Dratini." I told her and Jasmine reached out a hand, touching Dragonair's face gently as she lowered her head to press politely into her hand in greeting.

"Wow, I've never seen one before. It's very beautiful, you've obviously raised it well." She told me so I hugged Dragonair proudly. "We've come to see you off. Thank you so much, all of you. With your help, my little Sparkle will be back to its old self soon."

"Wait!" Someone called and we all blinked and turned to see Janina running as fast as she could towards us. "Wait a second!"

"Janina?" Jasmine questioned as little Janina stopped running to stand directly in front of Jasmine, puffing heavily and a little red in the face but she looked pleadingly up at Jasmine.

"Please Jasmine, please let me go too. I want to help get Sparkle's medicine to make it feel better." She begged but Jasmine folded her arms.

"Janina, this isn't a simple trip to the supermarket. It may be dangerous and you'll have to rely on your Pokémon to help you if you get into trouble and the medicine is very precious." Jasmine began but Janina hung her head.

"I know I haven't been the greatest of apprentices, but please Jasmine, I want to prove to you that I can do it. Just let me try, please? I know Onix and I can help bring that medicine back, I know we can!" Jasmine wore a thoughtful look, scrutinising Janina carefully so I stepped forwards and placed a hand on Janina's shoulder.

"You know, this trip might be exactly what Janina needs to understand responsibility." I said to Jasmine who blinked then looked up at me. "If she goes with us then she'll be guaranteed to arrive safely because we'll all look out for her and once we've got the medicine, she can bring it back to you herself."

"What do you mean? Aren't we coming back too?" I gave Ash a smirk.

"You know there's a gym in Cinawood City, right? My mom went to train there when she was younger, she says it's one of her favourite fighting type gyms ever. We can get our next badge there, leaving time for Sparkle to get better and then come back to challenge Jasmine. How does that sound?" Ash suddenly laughed.

"Great! I can't wait to get going!" Then we all turned to Jasmine who gave a long sigh, looking once more at Janina's pleading face before nodding her head.

"Very well, you can go too Janina. I trust you will behave yourself and listen to what these trainers tell you."

"I will! Oh thank you Jasmine! I promise I won't let you down." She vowed so she climbed aboard with a laugh, dancing on deck as Misty chuckled and followed, dragging Brock with her as he tried to profess his undying love for Jasmine.

I turned to Dragonair and then to the water. "So how about it? You fancy some speed swimming?" I suggested and she nodded her head. "Well, I have a little surprise for you. Check out your old friend, now made new! Vaporeon!"

"Vaporeon!" She called out as she appeared but the moment she saw Dragonair, she gasped then leaped forwards, the two of them calling out for joy and they bumped heads, nuzzling against one another before beginning to play as I climbed onto the boat.

"Come on your guys, you fancy some swimming? It's a wide ocean and plenty of time for you to play as we go." I said with a laugh so they both dove into the water and began to streak through at top speed, Dragonair speeding ahead but Vaporeon was pretty fast too.

I smiled and watched them as the sun began to set, feeling the breeze pull through my hair as our boat carried us over the waves, Vaporeon leaping out from time to time, twisting beautifully and the dazzling sunlight caught in each droplet, making her seem even more beautiful and elegant as Dragonair did the same, leaping in and out of the water and I couldn't tear my eyes from them.

Giving a sigh I stayed out until the sun set, turning my thoughts to my next gym battle for the Storm Badge. Wait until mom sees _that_ one!


	29. Chapter 29

"Thank you for waiting, here's the medicine you ordered." The pharmacist said and handed over the medicine to Janina who immediately put it safely away in her bag.

"Thank you so much sir." She said with a polite smile before turning to face us.

"Well that's a big relief." Misty said pointedly.

"You'd better hurry and take that back to Jasmine right away." Brock said to her and Janina nodded her head.

"I will."

"If you leave now you can catch the express ferry to Olivine City. It'll have you there before nightfall." The nice pharmacist told us so I turned to Janina.

"You'd better hurry in that case. You take care, okay? Make sure you don't lose that medicine, and give Jasmine and Sparkle our best." I told her as Misty gave her a smile.

"Make sure you don't lean too far over the side!" She said as Brock gave a smile.

"Give my love to Jasmine."

"We'll be back the moment I've won my next badge." Ash declared and Janina nodded her head.

"Okay, good luck to you Ash. And you too Ruby. I'll be cheering for you all the way from Olivine City." She told us before dashing out the store and hurrying back to the port to catch that express ferry, where she waved goodbye from the deck to us until she was gone from sight. I'll miss that little bundle of joy. She's actually quite sweet once you get to know her.

"Alright, let's go find that gym." Ash said so we turned to face the city but then the sound of thumping caught our attention. "Huh?" We looked down onto the beach to see a trainer and his Machoke, the trainer punching at the Machoke's lifted arms before going for a flying kick. Awesome.

The Machoke landed in the sand with a strong stance, facing its trainer with a focused look in its eye. "You defended yourself well Machoke. Now, let's switch to offence!" Its trainer complimented and the Machoke surged forwards with powerful hits. I blinked before looking a little closer. Wait a second…I know that guy! That's Chuck! The Cianwood City gym leader! No way!

"Hey, that's Chuck!" I pointed, giving a laugh as I studied his battling style. "This is so neat! My mom praised this guy to high heaven when she was training with him, and I can see why!"

"Who's Chuck?" Ash asked whilst scratching the back of his head so I whirled around and yelled at him.

"The Cianwood City gym leader, genius!" I waved my arms at him then spun around, giving an admiring sigh as I watched Chuck take a full on Submisison attack from his Machoke. Wow, if I had a Pokémon like that, then I'd definitely train the way Chuck did. Though I think that must have hurt a little, as he was now doubled over.

"Oh no!" Ash instantly ran over with us all close behind as Chuck struggled to his feet then collapsed to his knees again. "Are you okay sir?" Ash asked with worry, resting a hand on a bulky shoulder as Misty stared down in complete shock.

"What were you thinking battling with a Machoke like that?"

"Taking a Submission attack like that with no protection really isn't safe." Brock told Chuck who was trembling a little. However when he looked up his eyes were full of tears as they streamed down his face, his voice thick with emotion as he clenched his fists.

"I'm just…so proud of that Machoke!" He cried as we all took a step back in surprise. "That Submission attack was absolutely perfect! You here me? Perfect!"

"Choke." The Machoke nodded before they ran to one another and embraced one another, crying shamelessly despite their big tough guy bravado. Well, this isn't exactly what I was expecting but…who cares? It's Chuck!

"Hey you two in the hats." Chuck suddenly called and I blinked. Me? "What do you kids want?" I took a deep breath and swallowed nervously before giving a smile.

"Oh we were here hoping to get a gym battle with you, sir. My name is Ruby Bates and this is Ash Ketchum. We're both entered in the Johto League." I explained but Chuck suddenly squinted at me.

"Bates…I know that name. Hey, you look a little like someone who came here a couple years ago. Talented girl, real talented. You must be her kid." Chuck realised then instantly struck a battle pose. "Now put up those fists! Let me see you punch! One, two! One, two!" Instantly I was punching at the air, blinking slightly in bewilderment but striking out none the less. "Now kick!" I gave a high kick, twisting my body to the side before falling back into position again. "Now knees up, all of you! Hup two three four, hup two three four, let's go already! Come on, move it!" He roared and we all instantly tucked in our arms and began to lift our knees up high, jogging down the beach with Chuck as I couldn't keep the grin off my face.

"This is awesome! Doesn't this feel great?" I called back to the others who were red in the face and struggling for breath.

"Yeah…great…" Misty agreed as I overtook Chuck and jogged alongside his Machoke who smiled down at me before continuing to lead the way. Chuck fell well behind but when we stopped outside the gym, I stopped jogging and began to kick and punch at the air.

"Alright, I'm super psyched for this battle! I can't wait, I can feel the energy just building up and I can't wait to let it all out! Hiyah!" I gave a double strike punch then ended with a round house kick before placing a hand on my hip and watching the others as they ran up.

"Wait for us!" Ash called before stopping in front of the Machoke, gripping his knees and struggling for air. "I can't…go on…"

"Neither can I." Misty agreed, clutching a stitch in her side as I looked around.

"Hey, where's Chuck?" I questioned then looked back the way we came to see him bringing up the rear, still keeping his jogging going but he was now starting to seriously lag behind until finally he collapsed to his hands and knees in front of us.

"What's the matter? You kids out of shape or something?" He questioned and I arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah." I agreed. "Something like that."

"How much further are you going to be taking us anyway?" Ash asked but Chuck merely pointed towards the gates.

"We're here." He answered and I looked up to see a bunch of students and their Pokémon racing out of the dojo with laughter and bright smiles.

"Welcome back master!" They all chorused and I turned to face them with a smile.

"Well hi there!" I cheered with a wave as Chuck managed to stand up.

"Students! Did you finish all your training?"

"Yes sir!" They chorused again before pulling us all inside. "Come on master, it's nearly lunch time!" Great! That's the best news I've heard all day, I'm starving. We all took off our shoes and sat down at a long table where Chuck instantly grabbed a spoon.

"Now eat, eat, eat! So we can be strong, fighting machines!" I'll live to that for sure! He piled on the food and I instantly began to wolf it down, racing Ash to the finish as a pretty lady came and stood behind us.

"So you're here to battle for a Storm Badge you two?" She asked and Ash stopped his eating to look up at her.

"Uh, yeah." He answered with a nod of his head so the lady gave a sweet smile.

"Well you shouldn't have any problem beating that flabby old husband of mine." She revealed and I blinked. This was Chuck's wife? Wow, she sure knows how to instil confidence. Isn't she meant to support her husband to win the battles?

"Hey! Who're you calling flabby?" Chuck demanded, only just catching onto the insult, making her chuckle good naturedly.

"I have plenty more in the kitchen if anyone wants a second helping." She offered and I instantly lifted my hand straight up.

"I do! I do! I need to eat loads so I have plenty of strength for my battle with Chuck." I told her so she gave another gently giggle before nodding her head and going to fetch some more. I ate and ate and ate until I felt like a balloon fit to burst.

Okay, from now on, I'm putting myself on a strict consume watch. If my belt ever starts to feel this tight again, it means I should stop eating. But it all tasted so good! And it's very nutritious for the body, helping to flush out anything bad and strengthen you up for rigorous training and workouts. Maybe I'll need to get the recipe.

The day ended with Ash winning his Storm Badge, and in the morning, I got mine too. It was a tough battle, but I started with Ivysaur to help defeat Poliwrath and then Pidgeot took care of Machoke for me. Another double victory on the road to the Johto League, but we're getting close now. I can just _feel_ it.


	30. Chapter 30

It had been quite the journey, I'll tell you that. After winning the Storm badge, we returned and won the Mineral badge from Jasmin but in the time in between, a lot happened. Misty captured a Corsola, a Pokémon she had wanted since she first saw one after we'd been thrown into the ocean and nearly drowned in a series of whirlpools, but then something mysterious happened. A Pokémon saved us, I'm sure of it, but it was unlike any other I'd seen before. Its aura had been something legendary, with untold peace and tranquillity around its calm nature which instantly told me that it was no ordinary Pokémon.

After that it turned out that Professor Oak was having trouble controlling things back at the lab with so many Pokémon, so both Ash and I decided to lend a hand by sending back Bulbasaur and Ivysaur to keep things under control for the time being.

"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Ash worried as we walked down a road alongside a beautiful meadow.

"Of course Ash, Bulbasaur is great at keeping the peace and Ivysaur will help him out." I assured him. "I'd been thinking of sending Ivysaur back to Professor Oak for a rest anyway, you saw how wiped he was after that battle with Chuck, I think he's just a little too old to do any serious battling at the moment with such little special training."

"You're right Ruby. Ivysaur just isn't used to the training you set all your Pokémon. I think a long rest is exactly what Ivysaur needs." Brock agreed before stopping and gazing out towards the trees. "How about we stop here for a little break?"

"Sounds great, it's really pretty here. Don't you think so Togepi?" Misty asked and Togepi trilled happily in agreement before jumping out of Misty's arms and toddling over to a cluster of pretty flowers.

"Pika!" Pikachu leaped off of Ash's shoulder, landed on my head then sprang to the ground to join Togepi and keep an eye on her as I slid my pack from my back and sat down for a while.

"This is the life." Ash sighed, collapsing to the ground and rolled around in the sweet smelling grass before spreading out to bathe in the sun. "All I need now is some ice cream and hamburgers." I rolled my eyes with a chuckle as I sat up then picked up one of my Pokéballs.

"All you ever think about is food. Right Dragonair, its play time!" I called and my beautiful dragon Pokémon appeared, lifting her head high then lowered down to my level to instantly wrap herself around me, cooing and singing softly as I giggled. "Dragonair, stop that! You know I'm ticklish!" I giggled, hugging he gently and rubbing her head until she uncoiled from around me. "Okay, how about we try that trick again, okay?" I suggested and she nodded her head, moving back away from me. "Hey guys, check this out!" I called and everyone turned around.

Suddenly Dragonair began to glow, her eyes closed as she concentrated but then she lifted off the ground and began to float a few inches off the ground, the orb at her throat glowing mysteriously with a silvery shimmer surrounding her.

"Wow…Dragonair can fly?" Misty breathed in awe as her eyes sparkled in wonder.

"That's amazing. You know, Dragonair can also manipulate the elements. Have you tried working on that too?" Brock asked as Dragonair began to snake through the air, working on her movements as I nodded my head.

"Yeah, we've tried but haven't got very far. It seems to be quite difficult to control as Dragonair is only just newly evolved." I said, reaching out and patting her side. "But I know she'll get it, with practice and some hard work. I know she can do it." Dragonair gave a proud call then nuzzled my face, resting back down on the ground again as I giggled then groomed her as a reward for her now perfect flying ability.

After we'd had something to drink and a little snack, we were back on the road again with Brock guiding us from his little guidebook. We walked through the valley, going up and over endless streams of hills until finally, we all spotted the nearby town nestled in the cradle of the valley. "I can see the town!" Ash called and pointed ahead.

"My trusted map says that's Eggsitter." Brock told us and I peered over his shoulder for some information. An egg raising town, known for raising healthy, quality Pokémon from little eggs. Looking down at the egg in my arms I smiled. It'll hatch soon, I know it.

"Just as long as they have a restaurant there, I'll be happy. I'm starving." Misty said with a smile as my stomach rumbled deeply.

"I second that one Misty." I agreed.

"Me too! Let's eat first thing." All of a sudden we heard a warning growl and we looked behind us to see an Arcanine racing down the path at top speed without giving any indication of stopping. "Woah!" Ash and I yelled as we leaped out of the way, turning to keep the egg out of reach as the Arcanine charged past but then I noticed the collar, and the rope, and then the person on a skateboard. No…way…

"Gary?!" He blinked, turning to see us then hastily put on the breaks, making his Arcanine stop.

"Woah! Hi Ash, hi Ruby." He greeted as we hurried over to him.

"Hey Gary, cool skateboard." Ash complimented as I looked at the Arcanine. No way, was that Gary's little Growlithe I used to play fetch with back at the lab? Wow! It looks so amazing!

"Thanks."

"Your Arcanine looks great Gary." Misty complimented as I just blinked in a daze. Gary's here. What's he doing here? And why is Arcanine wearing a collar?

"Yeah, it looks so strong and really well groomed too. You must have been training together a long time." Brock noted and Arcanine nodded his head with a proud bark as Gary answered.

"We have Brock." Then he looked at me. Somehow I found myself feeling a little uncomfortable, my hands going clammy and I could feel the heat flush to my face so I looked away. "Aren't you going to say hi to your old friend Rubes?" Gary asked so I bit back at him.

"My name is Ruby. Not Rubes." I retaliated then lifted my egg higher to hide my face. Why did he have to turn up now? I look a mess! Wait, since when did I care?

"I know that." He replied with a careless shrug but the movement made something catch my eye. The shine off his little Squirtle charm that was attached to his necklace and instantly I gave a tiny smile, looking down at my feet as I took a deep breath to calm down before finally coming out of my shell.

"Hey! Gary!" Ash called, grabbing everyone's attention as he whipped out a Pokéball. "Let's see how Arcanine does…in battle!"

"Sorry, I can't." Gary cut him short and Ash nearly fell over in shock. That had me frowning too. Gary refuse a battle? Now that's not like him. "It's way too big of a risk Ash. I can't let Arcanine get injured before the big race."

"Uh…big race?" Ash questioned and Gary nodded his head.

"Yup gotta go." He turned back and shot me a smirk. "See you later Rubes. Go Arcanine!" With that Arcanine powered forwards, leaving me growling behind.

"It's Ruby you jerk!" I yelled after him before pouting. "Stupid Gary Oak." But Misty was now smirking at me.

"So…what's eating you up?" She probed and I instantly frowned at her as Ash ran after Gary, yelling. Huh? What's she up to? "I think it's rather cute Gary has a pet name for you. Maybe he likes you?" Instantly I shuddered and felt like vomiting.

"No way! Gary Oak is just an arrogant jerk face. There's no way he'd be interested in me anymore than I'd be interested in him." I instantly defended before striding away. "Come on. I'm hungry." I marched over to where Brock and Ash stood only to feel all tension fly from my body as I watched the Pokémon and their trainers all speeding around on skateboards.

What was…going on? I don't get it. Those collars don't look at all comfortable, why were all the Pokémon wearing them? Brock managed to get Ash and I moving and somehow, we got to the restaurant but I had lost all appetite. My stomach still hadn't settled from seeing Gary again. Stupid Gary Oak.

"That was delicious!" Misty declared, finishing her bowl of food with a stretch.

"Yeah, almost as good as mine." Brock agreed but I just sighed sadly and Ash hung his head.

"Can't…eat."

"Ash? You're not still worried about those Pokémon are you?" I nodded my head.

"Who'd do such a thing? Those collars might choke them. What if they get hurt?" I fussed and Ash nodded his head glumly.

"Didn't you see that collar on Gary's Arcanine? I can't believe he'd do such a thing." I pictured it in my head. If it was all for a race, then that must mean it was a very dangerous sport. What if Pokémon got hurt in it? What then?

"But Arcanine didn't seem to mind it at all." Brock pointed out as I gave another sigh then reached out for my egg which I had taken out of its incubator for a polish. The shell gleamed effortlessly and I could feel the warmth coming from within the egg and I even felt a little bit of movement from within. Surely it couldn't be long now?

"That's right." A warm, kind voice said to us and we all looked up and around to a gentleman sitting at the bar with us. "We call it Extreme Pokémon. It's become the singular most popular sport in this little town of ours. In ancient times, riding Pokémon was a necessity. Now it's reserved for the annual competition." He explained and I perked up. This sounds interesting.

"What competition are you talking about sir?" Ash asked politely and I gave a little smile of pride. Obviously Ash has been working on his manners a lot since back in school. I remember he used to always get in trouble with the teachers for arguing back when he thought they were wrong. Which was all the time.

"Each trainer rides a skateboard pulled by a special Pokémon in a race to the finish line, and tomorrow's the best part of the competition. The championship event! People come to watch the race for miles and miles." He beamed as he continued further and I began to imagine a race with loads of trainers, Pokémon and skateboards. It actually sounded like fun! But don't the collars still hurt them?

"Gary! So that's what he was training for." Brock realised as Misty nodded her head.

"I wonder if he'll win tomorrow's competition?" She wondered but Ash suddenly stood up.

"Oh no he won't, not if I can help it! Yes, Extreme Pokémon here we come." Ash declared whilst holding Pikachu in his arm and I sighed, shaking my head. Here we go again, another rivalry battle. Those two haven't changed since they were kids.

"Wait a minute Ash, don't you need practice?" Misty reasoned and Ash's confident face fell slightly.

"Misty's right Ash. The other trainers have been training for months and you don't even have any of the right equipment." The last of Ash's confidence disappeared.

"Oh…yeah." But then our new friend came to the rescue.

"Tell me, do you really want to be in the competition that badly young man?" He asked Ash who nodded his head enthusiastically.

"You bet I do!"

"In that case, I can help." He told us, standing up. "How about you kids come with me back to my farm? I'll help you get ready for the big race." He said, leading us outside as I quickly put my egg back in the incubator then hurried after him. "My, that's a fine egg you got there little missy. How long have you been carrying that around?"

"Months now." I gave a little shrug. "But it's close to hatching, it's taken a long time for it to heal after being exposed to a storm back in Kanto where I come from." I explained. "I rescued it with the help of my friend Gary and I've been helping to look after it ever since."

"Well, it's unlike I've ever seen before. Tell you what, I have something I think you'll like back at my farm. You wait and see." He said, helping me to jump up into the back of his straw wagon.

"This is very kind of you sir, thank you." Brock said as he too jumped up. "My name is Brock, I want to be a Pokémon breeder." He introduced and Misty gave a wave.

"I'm Misty, I specialise in water Pokémon." She said so then Ash spoke up.

"And I'm Ash Ketchum, I'm training to one day become a Pokémon Master!" I rolled my eyes before smiling as the nice guy climbed up and began to drive his Tauros away, pulling us along with it.

"My name's Ruby, it's nice to meet you." I told him and he chuckled.

"Well, I'd best introduce myself now hadn't I? You can call me Shelby. I run a Pokémon Day Care in these parts." He revealed and instantly I lifted my head.

"You mean it? A real day care? That's so cool!" I breathed, imaging all the Pokémon there'll be up there, and if not Pokémon, then eggs! They'll be so many eggs I bet my life on it!

"Mr Shelby, what do you mean by day care?" Ash asked and I blinked at him in shock.

"You've never heard of a day care?" I questioned in disbelief. "A Pokémon day care is where trainers sometimes leave their Pokémon for some extra relaxation and healing time. Sometimes Pokémon that stay there produce eggs and the day care people look after eggs and nurse them when they hatch until they're big enough to look after themselves in the wild. Right Mr Shelby?" I lay down on the straw to look down at Mr Shelby who nodded his head.

"That's right Ruby." He nodded his head and I sighed blissfully, turning onto my back to gaze up at the sky. The sun was so bright that I was blanketed in its warmth and I basked in it until I heard Ash gasp.

"Ruby! Your egg is glowing!" Instantly I was bolt upright and everyone gasped, turning around quickly to see as I sat upright and looked at the egg in the incubator. I was just about to pull it out to hold it when the light disappeared, fading away again.

"Oh…" Everyone said in disappointment as I frowned.

"But…it was ready. Why didn't it hatch?" I began to fret but Shelby merely chuckled and moved his Tauros along.

"Sometimes it happens. You'll get a few false alarms when the Pokémon inside is testing whether or not it's ready to hatch. If that was your first false alarm, I expect you'll either get a couple more or it'll be hatching very soon, within the next couple of days." Shelby explained as I noted down the information in my 'egg' section in my notebook.

"I can't wait, all this waiting has got me super excited to see what kind of Pokémon it is." Misty said dreamily. "Maybe it's a water Pokémon!"

"Nah, I bet it's a fire type Pokémon no one's ever discovered before!" Ash answered. "Or maybe even an electric type. Wouldn't that be awesome Pikachu?" He asked and Pikachu nodded his head.

"Pika Pika!" He agreed before jumping onto my shoulder. "Pikachu?" He questioned, nuzzling me gently as I looked down at my egg so I chuckled.

"I don't mind what kind of Pokémon it is, so long as it's healthy. Though I'll admit I'm excited to find out!" All we could think about on the way to the day care was my egg, however the moment we arrived, we were distracted by the number of Pokémon day cares there were. There were so many! No wonder how this place got the name Eggsitter.

"Hi honey, I'm home!" Shelby called out as he let us in to find his wife sitting in a rocking chair, polishing a yellow and black striped egg.

"Hello dear. Oh! Who's this?" She asked as we all stood politely to the side.

"This young man is Ash and he's the latest entry in tomorrow's competition." Shelby explained, looking at Ash who gave a nervous little laugh and rubbed the back of his head.

"Really? Then best of luck!" She cheered for him and I gave a little grin.

"You're going to need it." Ash shot me a dark look as I giggled before punching him gently on the shoulder. "I'm only kidding, you'll be great." When we were invited to sit down for dinner, I couldn't believe how many eggs were sitting in the dining room alone, all settled in individual nests on shelves.

"Wow! Look at 'em all!" Ash beamed as we gazed at them all.

"Are all these yours to take care of?" Brock questioned as Mrs Shelby polished off the egg she had been holding earlier one last time and placed it in the nest.

"That's right. This one arrived only yesterday." I knew someone who'd love to get their hands on it. I bet it's an Electabuzz egg.

"Beautiful." Misty whispered and I hugged mine a little closer with a smile.

"They all are." Ash agreed and Mrs Shelby gave a little proud blush.

"Thank you. We take great pride in all our eggs."

"Once they hatch we raise some pretty strong Pokémon. Here, take a look at this little one." Mr Shelby said as he walked in holding a dark brown furred Pokémon with a long tail, which when it turned around gave a cute little smile.

"Sentrent." It squeaked and my eyes instantly sparkled.

"Oh it's so cute!"

"It's a Sentrent! How old?" Misty asked and Mr Shelby gave a little laugh.

"This one's only two days old." Wow, and already looking that strong? Now that was some awesome raising. After that we were flooded with adorable baby Pokémon and I couldn't help but hug them all, giggling as I tickled their bellies and played with them whilst Ash went outside with Mr Shelby.

Mrs Shelby and I put the Pokémon back in their nests for an afternoon nap and I left the incubator inside to carry the egg for a while before heading outside with the others. Ash was quite happily skating around on an old skateboard. "Say, not bad for your first time Ash." Mr Shelby complimented so Ash quickly came clean.

"It's not exactly my first time. I used to do a lot of mountain boarding up in the hills of Pallet Town." He explained and I gave a little giggle.

"It was best when it had snowed and the entire hill was covered with a fresh blanket. That's the best time to go mountain boarding. Hey Ash, do remember the time you lost control and fell into a half frozen lake and you had a cold for a week afterwards?" I asked and Ash gave a shiver just thinking about it.

"Yeah. I remember." He said as the others all chuckled. "Okay, more practice!" He suddenly declared then sped down the hill, leaning his weight slightly to glide either left or right, however when a rock suddenly loomed up ahead, he couldn't move fast enough.

"Watch out genius!" I yelled with worry and instantly leaped over the hill, racing down but I quickly jumped up into the air afterwards. "Go Pidgeot!" Instantly she appeared and caught me on her back before diving down, following the steep slope of the hill as Ash crashed into the rock then went tumbling down, grunting and yelling as he headed for the road below. "Hurry and catch up Pidgeot!"

"Pidgeo!" Pidgeot instantly flapped her wings and tucked them in, narrowing her eyes as we sped after Ash however out of nowhere, an Arcanine appeared and blocked Ash's descent, stopping him from hitting the road and doing some serious damage before Pidgeot could even begin to gain speed. I gave a sigh of relief as Gary stood there over Ash with a look of bewilderment.

"It's okay Pidgeot, let's pull up." I told her gently, patting her neck so she spread her wings and we soared upwards, gliding gracefully around and I leaned my body slightly to guide her until finally, she came in to land next to Arcanine. "Ash! Ash are you okay?" I asked, leaping off of Pidgeot's back and helped him to stand up.

"Ugh…yeah I'm okay." He said shaking out his head before grinning. "I'm great!"

"Good. Let me fix that for you." I growled then whacked him on the back of the head, flooring him again. "What the heck were you thinking? Are you insane? You could have really been hurt, genius!" I ranted before turning my head away. "Stupid boys."

"Hey it's not my fault. I didn't see the rock until it was too late!"

"Then next time, try opening your eyes!" I answered back, tucking my egg more securely in my jacket. "You could have broken your arm if Gary hadn't been here to stop you from landing on the road down there." Ash rolled his eyes, mumbling something about having it all under control.

"So Rubes, you competing as well?" Gary asked and I blinked at him, almost completely missing the fact that he was watching. "That Pidgeot of yours is pretty fast."

"No not this time. I'm taking a break from training too heavily for a while. My Pokémon have all earned a rest, isn't that right Pidgeot?" I asked and Pidgeot spread her wings with a chirp, nodded her head, before ruffling her feathers then nudged me then looked back at the top. "Right, good idea." I agreed then climbed back up to get a lift. "Hey Ash, I'll race you." I smirked then nodded to Gary. "See you later Gary."

"Bye Rubes." I shot him a dark look but said nothing as Pidgeot saw it a good idea to get me out of there pretty quickly.

"Hey wait! I can't climb up that hill all by myself!" Ash yelled as Pidgeot flapped her wings.

"Then use a Pokémon to help!" I yelled back simply as Pidgeot ascended the hill with speed. She quickly banked up, sending a rush of air to wrap around everyone as she twirled around gracefully, making me laugh before she landed. "Thanks Pidgeot, that was some great flying." I told her as she trilled in reply and closed her eyes as I rubbed her head.

"Now that's a fine Pidgeot. One of the best I've ever seen." Mrs Shelby said to me. "You've raised that one well Ruby."

"Thanks Mrs Shelby, though I owe it all to Brock." I informed her with a smile. "He taught me all about taking care of a Pokémon from the inside as well on the outside, so all of Pidgeot's food is the best to keep her strong and healthy." I revealed, making Brock blush.

"Please, you're making me blush." He said modestly, making me giggle but then Pidgeot began to nudge my hand then pointed a wing up to the sky.

"Huh? You want to fly some more?" I questioned and she nodded her head before turning around and offering me her back. "Okay then, let's go! I'll be back later!" I called over my shoulder as I leaped up onto Pidgeot's back then we rose up into the sky with the sun setting ahead of us. I took some photos of the day care from above, bathed in a golden glow then focused on the beauty of the skies. "It's been a while, hasn't it Pidgeot?" I said to her whilst leaning down low to be enfolded in her soft and warm feathers. "I've missed this. Just flying around in the open sky with nothing to worry about…we should do this more often like we used to." I said and Pidgeot nodded her head in agreement.

"Pidgeo." But then something caught her eye. "Pidgeo?" Suddenly she pulled up short and looked down, making me cling on with a yelp.

"Pidgeot! What's wrong?" I questioned but before I could get an answer, she dove down to the ground with a loud call.

"Pidgeo!" The ground quickly loomed below and grew bigger, the rush of wind in my face making my eyes water as I clung on for dear life until finally, Pidgeot pulled up and glided to a halt where I instantly heard an Arcanine barking, trying to get someone's attention.

"Huh? Arcanine?" I questioned, quickly leaping off of Pidgeot's back and ran over to Gary's Arcanine. I could see the collar and the rest of the gear, but no Gary. Arcanine whined and nudged against me before looking down over a cliff ridge to point down to what looked to be Gary at the bottom, landed on some bushes and groaning, but he wasn't waking up. "Gary!" I instantly dropped down to my knees and looked over the edge, my voice echoing loudly.

The sound startled Gary awake and instantly he tried to leap to his feet but he swayed and collapsed to his knees. "R…Ruby? Ruby is that you?" Gary mumbled in confusion, rubbing the back of his head. "What's going on? Are you hurt?" Am I hurt? The idiot. He's the one who just fell off a cliff!

"Don't worry Gary, Pidgeot will get you back up here." I said then nodded to Pidgeot. "Lift him back up carefully Pidgeot, I think he's hurt."

"Pidgeo." She nodded her head then dove over the side, flying to Gary's side then easily lifted him off the ground with her talons curling under his arms, making him yell in surprise as she lifted him back up the cliff.

"Stand back Arcanine, we don't want to get too close." I said, gently resting my hands on Arcanine's chest and he stepped back a couple of paces as Pidgeot settled Gary down on the ground. "Gary! Gary are you okay?" I asked, dropping to his side and carefully put the egg down beside me as I gingerly touched Gary's face, checking for any sign of fever.

"I'm fine. Is Arcanine okay?" He asked, trying to sit up but I anchored him down.

"You stay right there mister. You might have concussion." I said to him sternly then reached for my bag to pull out my medicine kit. "You were lucky those bushes down there broke your fall otherwise I'd be flying you to hospital."

"I'm fine. I have to be fine, the race is tomorrow." Gary said, trying to sit up but I forced him back down again as I found an ice pack then placed it on the back of his head where he seemed to favour it a little.

"Just lay still, you'll be alright in a moment." I assured him. "Just take it easy okay?" I told him with a gentle smile before holding a hand out to Arcanine who gave a little whine of worry. "It's all good Arcanine, Gary's going to be fine." I told him confidently as I rubbed his nose.

Suddenly one of my Pokéballs opened and Vaporeon appeared, blinking softly then gave a bright cheer of greeting to Gary, bounding over and tackled him with a hug. "Vaporeon no! Be careful!" I quickly grabbed her and pulled her off but then one of Gary's Pokéballs opened and Umbreon appeared.

"Umbreon!" He sat down beside Gary, glancing him over as he blinked in surprise.

"Umbreon? What are you doing out of your Pokéball?" He questioned in confusion but then Vaporeon wriggled out of my arms and walked with a little more grace over to Umbreon, blinking her eyes prettily and Umbreon's ears pricked up instantly.

"Umbreon?"

"Poreon Vaporeon." She answered before snuggling up against Umbreon. She stretched out her neck and Umbreon blinked in surprise before closing his eyes and they touched noses together, making my heart thump loud and proud as I watched the romantic display of affection between Pokémon. How adorable! They're in love! Wait, with _Gary's_ Pokémon? Oh great. That complicates things. A lot. Oh well, quick! Take a photo!

"Well. This was a little unexpected." Gary mused suddenly, breaking the spell so I sighed and rolled my eyes as I lowered my camera, ensuring I had the shot and smiled down at it before turning to Gary.

"To a blind person maybe. Vaporeon has been sweet on your Umbreon since they first met as little Eevees'." I informed him as the two curled up together with Umbreon resting his head over Vaporeon's back, his tail curling around her head to act as a pillow and I instantly took a silent photo, capturing the moment. This is one I definitely want to remember.

"Really? Wow. I never noticed." Gary said just as the breeze began to turn chilly. But then it was gone and I looked up to find Arcanine laying down behind us to block out the cold with Pidgeot forming another barrier with her wings, enshrouding us all in a cocoon of warmth. "Thanks for helping me out by the way." Gary said to me so I nodded my head.

"No problem. You were lucky Pidgeot noticed you and we happened to be flying overhead." I answered, glancing at Gary then took a quick snapshot as his half smile, making him chuckle.

"You still taking photos?"

"You still being the same old arrogant boy I've known since childhood?" I returned so he shrugged.

"Touché." He sighed then sat up properly, looking at the moon as it began to grow brighter. "You know, going on this journey was the best thing I've ever done." Gary told me so I turned my head to listen. "I always used to feel like the outcast back in Pallet Town, especially at school."

"Yeah, because you were mean." I told him simply.

"No before that." He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "The only reason I was mean like that to everyone was because it gave me an excuse for being left out most of the time. Like if I did the rejecting first then I wouldn't be the one being rejected. But now that I have Pokémon, I feel like I truly belong." I understood that, after all, I was also one of those kids who never made friends. People always thought me a little too much to handle.

"Well, if it's any help, I don't think you're that much of a jerk anymore." I said to him. "And as for your Pokémon? I don't need to be able to sense their emotions to see how much they care about you. Right Arcanine?" I questioned, looking up and Arcanine nodded his head with a gruff bark before licking Gary's cheek, making him smile and laugh so I snapped up another photo for him.

"Thanks Arcanine, I needed that." He said but then tried to stand up. "Well, we'd better get going. We need rest for the big race tomorrow." But even as he said it, he wavered on his feet.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere." I told him firmly, standing up also and both Vaporeon and Umbreon lifted their heads. "Where're you staying?" I asked and he pointed back towards town.

"At an inn. It shouldn't take too long, Arcanine can pull me there on the board." But I put my foot down.

"No, if you can't stay upright then how can you expect to get back in one piece?" I demanded before sighing and pulling out two Pokéballs. "Pidgeot, Vaporeon, return." Vaporeon jumped up and instantly nuzzled against Umbreon, who gently licked her cheek so I let them say goodbye to one another and didn't make her return until she turned and nodded her head to me. "Come on, climb up." I said, picking up the skateboard and handed it to him before climbing onto Arcanine's back. "I'll make sure you get back safe."

"You want me to ride _on_ Arcanine?" Gary blinked and I frowned at him.

"Haven't you tried it before?" I asked but he shook his head, so I have a smile then held out a hand for him. "Then come on, I'll show you." Gary hesitatingly took my hand and let me pull him up until he was settled behind me. "Alright Arcanine, we'll take it steady at first okay? You put on the speed, I'll do the steering." I said and Arcanine nodded his head with a bark. "You might want to hang on." I suggested to Gary who frowned.

"To what?" I didn't give him a second chance.

"Go Arcanine!" Arcanine sprang forwards and Gary yelled, instantly grabbing onto my waist and hung on as I leaned slightly, guiding Arcanine down the track as he sprang easily, covering the distance as Gary began to loosen up and laugh.

"This is awesome! How did you learn to ride like this?"

"Practice! You have to really be in sync with your Arcanine to truly master the movements. You rely on one another to travel at this sort of speed without getting hurt or running into something." Just then a tree loomed up in front of us. "Woah! Left!" I yelled and Arcanine only just moved into my guiding position to avoid hitting the tree before carrying on again. "See?"

"You know, you're really something Rubes." Gary said to me so I chuckled then focused on getting him back to the inn. Once we were there Arcanine was returned to his Pokéball for a long rest and Gary picked up the collar as it fell to the ground. "Thanks Rubes. I owe you one."

"Don't mention it." I shrugged, holding the egg in my arms. It gave off a little faint glow and Gary instantly leaned closer to see but then it faded away once more. "Yeah. It's been doing that a lot lately." I told him. "It means we're close to hatching, right egg?" I questioned and I felt a warmth rise up from within the egg. "So…I'll see you later?"

"You bet." Gary said, flicked my hat to tilt it back then before I could comment, leaned forwards and quickly kissed my cheek. "Sweet dreams Rubes." He said to me quietly and I stood frozen in place as he drew back, gave a mischievous smirk then walked on inside.

"It's R-R-Ruby." I stammered a little dazed, confused and feeling a little sick. "Uh…what just happened?" I questioned the open air before shaking my head. "Get a grip Ruby, he's just trying to mess with your head." I said before calling out Pidgeot. "Alright girl, let's get back before they send out a search party." I said and we rose up into the air, gliding in the moonlight but my mind remained firmly back outside that in, with Gary Oak's lips on my cheek in the same spot he had kissed several times before. Ugh, I HATE HIM!


	31. Chapter 31

Day of the race. I couldn't be more excited. With Ash competing with Bayleef, I couldn't wait to see how great they'd do together. I squirmed in my seat, a flashing egg in my lap before it finally died down again and went radio silent. Well, I suppose there's only so much excitement I could take in one day.

Ash and Gary were positioned at the starting line ready to go and I watched as the lights blinked once, twice, thrice then went blue, signalling the start of the race. "Yeah! Go Bayleef!" I cheered, standing up and punching the air with the egg in my other arm. However almost instantly there was a collision, meaning several of the Pokémon and trainers instantly were knocked out of the battle. "Oh no!" I watched the screen, waiting to see who emerged and sighed with relief as Bayleef, Ash, Arcanine and Gary all made it through the thick dust cloud.

"I'm glad Ash and Bayleef made it through." Misty said with a sigh as Pikachu cheered for Ash in Brock's lap.

"Pika Pi! Pika Pika!"

"That's right, you said it Pikachu! Go Ash go! Go Ash go!" I cheered as well, Togepi and Pikachu chanting along with me as we watched the screens. At the steep slope the other Pokémon all began to lag behind but Gary took the lead with Bayleef close behind.

"Looks like Ash is really giving Gary a run for his money." Brock commented. I was just about to start cheering again when something on the screen caught my eye. A balloon in the corner of the screen was following after the racers, only thing was, it was a Meowth balloon, which could only mean one thing. "Team Rocket!" Brock gasped, standing up as Misty and I both leaped to our feet too. "I bet they're after the Pokémon. We've got to warn them!"

"But how? They're way too far ahead for us to catch up with, what can we do?" Misty fretted but I was already zipping up my bag, egg firmly secured inside.

"Leave this one to me. Pidgeot! Let's get out there and show Team Rocket what true team spirit is!" I called, jumping from my feet and onto the track with Pidgeot flying out of her Pokéball. She landed and instantly I climbed up with some people blinking and whispering in confusion.

"Uh oh, looks like someone has spotted trouble, I wonder what this little girl's up to." I rolled my eyes at the commentator's commentating.

"Alright Pidgeot, let's show everyone what a real extreme Pokémon looks like." Pidgeot nodded her head with a chirp then flapped her wings once, gaining lift before shooting across the ground, moving so fast that I had to cling on tight with my knees and fingers to keep from falling off.

We overtook all the other Pokémon in their attempt to catch up and I looked ahead to see Team Rocket flying off with Arcanine in a net, Gary chasing after them and Ash hot in pursuit. "Guys!" I called as Pidgeot soared past but then slowed up so that I could quickly give them my plan. "You two just keep going, I'll get Team Rocket." I told them and Ash nodded his head.

"Right! Gary hop on!" Ash held out his hand and made as much room as he could on the board, letting Gary jump on behind him and Bayleef valiantly began to pull them as I went after Team Rocket's balloon.

"Oh no! It's the twerp with attitude!" I snorted with laughter.

"That's right, and that's my friend's Arcanine you got there! Give him back!" I yelled at them but they merely pulled faces and stuck out their tongues.

"Make us." Slowly I began to smirk. Jessie flinched slightly and stared as Pidgeot gave a proud cry then aimed straight for the balloon. "Is anyone else feeling worried?" She questioned.

"I am a little. I don't like that look she's giving us." James agreed as Meowth swallowed.

"I think we're about to get our feathers plucked." He said as Pidgeot tucked in her wings then burst through the balloon, both of us holding our breath before flying out the other side. The two massive holes instantly let out all the helium, making the balloon crash and fall down to the ground but Pidgeot went into a steep dive.

"Grab Arcanine, quick! Before he can get hurt!" I directed and Pidgeot instantly spread out her wings and grabbed the net, tearing it from the basket. Arcanine barked in surprise, looking up as Pidgeot began to flap her large wings, gracefully descending to the ground with Arcanine safely in her grasp as the balloon crashed, covering part of the house.

I sighed with relief as Arcanine was put down, Pidgeot breathing heavily so I rubbed her head before pulling off the net. Instantly I was slathered with Arcanine's tongue, his happy expression all I could see as I laughed. "Okay Arcanine! I know you're glad to see me." I giggled as Shelby ran forwards.

"Ruby! What happened?" Mr Shelby asked so I turned to face him.

"I'm really sorry Mr Shelby, but Team Rocket tried to make off with Gary's Arcanine so I flew out with Pidgeot to get him back." I said, holding a hand against both Pokémon. "But we're all okay now."

"Okay? Do we look okay to you?" Jessie demanded as she crawled out from under the balloon.

"You owe us big time twerp! Balloon's don't come cheap you know!" Meowth growled at me so I glared at them both.

"Then maybe you shouldn't try pulling such dirty tricks on good people!"

"Hey look what I've got!" James suddenly trilled, skipping forwards with an overjoyed expression as he held up two baskets full of eggs that Mr and Mrs Shelby were supposed to be taking care of. "A ticket egg-tastic! A Pokémon egg basket!" James sang as my mouth dropped open.

"Put those back! Those eggs aren't for stealing, they're very precious!" I yelled at Team Rocket, throwing out a hand as the nice old couple gasped in fear.

"Which is exactly why we'll be taking care of them from now on." Jessie said to me. "After all, we do specialise in stealing _precious_ things. By the way, do you still have that Dratini?" She questioned so I buttoned up my mouth. "With you now cut off from the other twerps, I should think it'll be pretty easy to just take your Pokémon. After all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to these… _precious_ eggs of yours now, would you?" Those lowlifes, how dare they try to use those eggs to take my Pokémon.

"You're not getting away with those eggs, I call your bluff! You'd never hurt a Pokémon egg as they're too valuable!" I decided then flung out a hand. "Go Pidgeot, Wing Attack!" Pidgeot instantly flew upwards but Jessie sent out her Arbok to counter.

"Go Arbok, Poison Sting!" Instantly Pidgeot was showered with sharp needles, forcing her backwards and ending her attack as she collapsed to the ground.

"No! Pidgeot!" I should have realised how tired she'd be after all that quick flying, stupid-stpuid-stupid!

"Now Arbok, Wrap attack!" Arbok charged forwards towards Pidgeot, making my eyes widen in fear.

"No! Pidgeot!" Without thinking I flung myself forwards, leaping over Pidgeot to try and ward off Arbok but his long body curled around me and constricted, making me gasped as all air was crushed from my lungs and I struggled to breathe, feeling pain dance up my arms and torso as Mr and Mrs Shelby both cried out.

"Oh no!" But then I heard Bayleef running towards us and both Ash and Gary called out.

"Ruby! Hang on Ruby, we're coming!"

"Rubes! Alright Arcanine, Take Down attack!" Gary yelled and suddenly Arcanine powered into Arbok, slamming his weight against the other Pokémon and I felt the tightness instantly leave my body, allowing me to suck in a deep breath but I collapsed to the ground regardless, though Pidgeot put out a wing to stop me from hitting the ground too hard.

"Pidgeo?"

"Pidgeot…are you okay?" I asked weakly, clutching my ribs as Pidgeot trembled slightly.

"Pidgeo, Pidgeooooo." She chirped softly so I smiled then returned her to her Pokéball.

"Take a long rest. You've earned it." I said before going limp on the ground, trying to recover from that powerful attack. Next time, I think I'll just go ahead and send out Charizard instead of trying to be brave. Humans were not made to fight Pokémon.

"What shall we do now?!" James panicked, still holding the egg so I tried to get up and take them back myself.

"Let's scramble." Jessie said and they all ran off. Oh no you don't, not with those eggs! I was about to take a step forwards but my trembling body gave out and I fell back down to the ground again, making Mrs Shelby run over to me.

"Rest easy now pet, that was quite an attack you took." She said, putting her arms around me as I groaned and held me up so I could see what was going on.

"Bayleef, go get those eggs back!" Ash directed and Bayleef ran ahead but reached out with her Vine Whip, taking the baskets back to open the way for Arcanine.

"Alright Arcanine, Flame Wheel!" Arcanine charged forwards with an impressive amount of power, his entire body setting alight then slammed into Team Rocket, making them all scream as they soared up into the air.

"We put all our eggs into one basket again!" I gave a little chuckle then sat up on my knees, smiling up at the sky.

"Well, they always know how to egg-sit in style." I joked, making Mrs Shelby laugh as she placed a hand on my back.

"Ruby!" Gary suddenly called and ran over to where I was, kneeling down in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Are you okay?" He asked with genuine worry with no lack of concern, making me blink slightly.

"Uh…yeah I'm fine." I told him so he pulled me forwards without warning and wrapped his arms around me, giving me a gentle but secure embrace as his head turned into mine.

"You sure had me worried, that Arbok looked like it was about to choke you to death."

"I don't think it even realised it was me it was holding." I answered a little uncomfortably, shifting slightly until Gary let me go. "But thanks." He nodded his head as he stood up.

"No sweat. It's thanks to you my Arcanine is safe and sound. I think the odds are starting to look a little even between you and me." I rolled my eyes as I stood up, taking a deep breath but my ribs continued to ache.

"Let's have a quick look at you." Mrs Shelby fussed but the moment she lifted the back of my shirt she gasped and dropped it again.

"What? What's wrong?" I asked but when she didn't answer I lifted the front of my shirt only to find my skin was bruised black and blue. "Oh. Right." Quickly I hid it again. "That could be a problem."

"Ruby you should get to a hospital. Something might be broken." Ash said to me but I shook my head.

"After the race. Come on you two! There's still time to get back in first place, none of the others have caught up yet." I said, quickly pushing them over to their Pokémon as Mr Shelby gave them both an egg. "I'll be cheering for you from the sky, okay? Come on out Charizard!"

He appeared with a roar, glanced around the scene then rolled his eyes before giving me a stern look, placing his hands on his hips. "What? It's totally not my fault they fell out of the sky again. They're the ones who won't give up!" I argued with him as Gary and Ash set off. "Never mind. Come on! We have to go see who wins the race!" I said with a smile but Mrs Shelby lay a hand on my shoulder.

"You get yourself seen to immediately after, you hear? You don't want any health complications now or later." She told me and only let me go after I had specifically promised I would go see someone for help. Hey, Brock would know what to do.

I leaped onto Charizard's back and sat on his shoulders as he rose up into the air then flew after the others just as the rest of the participants caught up. Charizard gave me a perfect view and I could see Gary and Arcanine at the front with Ash beginning to lag behind. Not good.

But then suddenly Ash steered off and aimed for a jut in the rocks pointing towards the track on the other side of the mountain trail where Gary was still aiming towards. Bayleef took the leap and soared through the air, making my eyes go wide before I laughed, angling Charizard alongside Ash. "Way to go Ash!" I cheered. "Woohoo!"

Ash laughed in return as he landed beside Gary and the two of them sprinted for the finish line, Bayleef and Arcanine not giving up any ground. Charizard flew up higher and I watched carefully as at the last jump, Bayleef slapped her own rear with her vines and leaped over the finish line a bare few inches ahead of Arcanine, her long neck stretching out and I cheered in victory as the confetti began to fall.

Charizard cheered in excitement as well, spouting off a Flamethrower into the sky, making Ash look up and wave so I waved back before patting Charizard's neck. "Come on Charizard, let's land before we accidentally set fire to something." I suggested with a chuckle, making Charizard smile back at me before he landed.

I returned him to his Pokéball then ran over to Ash and Bayleef, holding out my arms. "You guys were great!" I said, flinging my arms around Bayleef as she ran at me. "Especially you Bayleef, you sure showed everyone how awesome you are!" I laughed, rubbing her head as she enjoyed the attention she received from everyone as Misty and Brock joined us, congratulating Ash as he stepped up for the award of a large trophy and Bayleef received her medal.

We all cheered but once everything was over, I sat down with Brock and let him give me some stuff to help ease the swelling and bruising as Ash, Gary and I explained everything that happened. Once I was done I brought out Pidgeot, gave her some Antidote and Super Potion to make sure she was alright and once she was as bright as a button again, I gave her a huge hug in thanks then let her return for some extra rest.

"So Gary, how do you feel about losing to Ash?" I asked as we faced one another, the egg back in my arms again.

"No regrets. You sure have raised yourself a great Pokémon Ash." Gary complimented and Ash nodded his head.

"Thanks Gary." Ash said. Just then I felt the egg gave a definite judder of movement.

"Huh?" I blinked and looked down, seeing it glowing brightly. Instantly everyone crowded around, watching the egg with anticipation.

"Is it time? Is it hatching?" Misty asked, her voice thick with excitement as Pikachu's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Pika Pika?" But then the egg stopped glowing.

"Oh…" We all groaned, feeling disappointed and my shoulders sagged deeply. Oh well, maybe not this time but perhaps next…wait a minute, it's glowing again!

"Look Rubes, the egg!" Gary pointed and we all watched, biting our lips or holding our breaths as the egg began to glow again.

"What's going on here kids?" Mr and Mrs Shelby asked as they approached but then gasped as they saw my egg beginning to glow. I could feel its warmth and the movement from inside as I held the egg, staring with baited breath until finally, it began to shift into shape. I gasped as the light disappeared and a small baby Pokémon lay in my arms unlike any other I'd ever seen.

It was aerodynamic in appearance, with tiny jet like wings on its back and small red and white arms that were tucked into its body. The lower half of its body was red with the blue triangular marking on its chest with a long white neck, pointed ears and a splash of red on its face with a white mark in the middle. It was adorable, and so petite! Nestling easily into my arms as everyone stared.

Slowly the Pokémon opened its eyes, blinking softly in the setting sun then looked up at me with a soft, wordless sound. Instantly I smiled, tears beginning to slide down my face as I felt its attachment instantly connect with me, making the baby Pokémon smile and nuzzle closer, a wave of love washing over me.

"I don't believe it…" Gary breathed before pulling out his Pokédex.

"Latias. Specific information about this legendary Pokémon is still unknown." Wait a minute, wait a minute, did Dexter just say…legendary?!

"Awesome! Ruby, you got a legendary Pokémon!" I instantly hissed at Ash, making him quieten down as I cradled little Latias in my arms.

"You might wake her." I scolded him softly, gently rocking Latias as she yawned and curled up closer into me.

"Wow, that's so amazing! You actually found a legendary Pokémon egg." Misty breathed as I frowned.

"But if there's no information about it, then it can't be native to either Johto or Kanto. How did it end up all the way out here?" I questioned, looking up at Mr and Mrs Shelby who had tears in their eyes.

"I don't know Ruby, I'm just glad that that little baby Pokémon has you to look after it." Mr Shelby said then picked up the incubator. "I'll take this off your hands for you, you don't want to be carrying this around with you, but here, you'd best put that baby into a Pokéball to keep it safe and out of sight for the time being." He said, taking the Pokéball that sat at the top of the incubator then handed it to me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking down at Latias who shifted her head on my shoulder to nuzzle closer, taking a deep breath of my hair to familiarise herself with my scent.

"With a legendary Pokémon like that, you can imagine all sorts of people wanting to take it away from you. With Latias still only a baby, it'll rely on you to protect it, so don't let anyone you don't trust know about your Latias." Mrs Shelby told me so I nodded my head then touched Latias with the Pokéball.

"Okay, then I guess I'll have to keep you a secret my little cutie." I said with a smile and Latias blinked open her eyes to smile up at me before it disappeared into the ball with a soft sound. My heart continued to pound deeply in my chest. I still couldn't believe it. A legendary Pokémon. All mine. Mine to raise! I couldn't wait!

"You take good care of that Pokémon Rubes, you wait until you tell my grandpa about it. If you decide to, of course." Gary said and I nodded my head.

"I hear ya. Professor Oak won't believe his ears." I agreed before nodding my head to Gary. "It was great seeing you again."

"Yeah, you too." He agreed, turning away then gave a wave over his shoulder. "See you around guys."

"Goodbye!" Ash called and waved after Gary as he gave his signature flick of his hand in farewell as he walked up over the rise then slowly disappeared under the hill. I almost took a step after him, watching as the tip of his head finally went from view.

"Speaking of eggs, Ash, we can't thank you enough for helping protect ours." Mrs Shelby said and we turned to face him, noticing he held another incubator in his arms with a pale blue egg held inside.

"This here's a very special Pokémon egg and well…it's for you." Mr Shelby said and handed the egg to Ash who instantly brightened further, gazing down at his egg with a bright smile as we all gave a coo of happiness.

"Wow, your own Pokémon egg!" Brock said as I chuckled.

"Try not to break it Ash, that incubator is only idiot proof to a point." I joked and Ash gave a laugh whilst nodding his head.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

"What kind of egg is it?" Misty asked but Mrs Shelby only winked and pressed a finger to her lips as she spoke.

"It's a secret."

"When it hatches you should use the Pokéball on top the case to catch it." Mr Shelby told Ash who continued to gaze at his new egg with disbelief, unable to believe his luck. From one egg hatching to a new one being received, we've had our fair share of eggs I'll say that! Now with this new one on the way, I couldn't wait to see what it turns out to be!


	32. Chapter 32

Once we'd found a quiet, secluded spot to have lunch, I let out all of my Pokémon. "Alright, it's play time!" I called and they all appeared one by one, calling out in greeting but Latias appeared in my arms, choosing to snuggle close to me so I giggled. "Hey there you, did you sleep well?" I asked and everyone began to crowd closer. "Everyone, this is Latias, the egg you've all helped me to incubate and look after. Isn't she great?" I said and everyone chirped in agreement.

Vaporeon began to dance around my feet so I sat down on the ground, letting her get a closer look at Latias who cooed in greeting then rubbed noses with Vaporeon who gasped in wonder. "Poreon…"

"Pidgeo?" Pidgeot questioned and Latias looked at her next, blinking but gave an innocent chirp of laughter, lifting her little hands that tucked into her chest to wave them. Charizard lowered his head down to make himself seem smaller, looking over my shoulder without wanting to startle the new born but Latias seemed to like him just as much.

Jigglypuff bounced up onto my shoulder and gasped, eyes sparkling at the adorable baby in my arms then clapped her hands. "Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff Puff!"

"That's right Jigglypuff, Latias is coming with us on our journey." I told her with a nod of my head. "But I'm going to need all of your help to keep Latias safe from anyone who might want to take her away. Can I rely on you guys to help me?" I questioned and Dragonair instantly coiled around us protectively with a firm nod of her head before letting us go as the others all chorused.

"Here, I've made some baby feed, this should keep up Latias's strength whilst it's still growing." Brock said, shaking a bottle of milk to mix up the nutrients before handing to me and sitting down at my side.

"Thanks Brock, what's in it?"

"Some Pecha berry juice, Oran berry juice, nutrient powders, baby Pokémon powder milk and Moo-Moo milk. That should do for now until I can figure out the right recipe for it." He said as I gave the baby bottle to Latias and she instantly began to drink from it, sucking it all up with her eyes closed. "You know, maybe we should ask Professor Oak if he knows anything about Latias. I'm not even sure what Pokémon type it is."

"That's right, maybe he'll have some answers." Misty said as she walked over with Ash. "Hey there cutie, were you hungry?" She cooed over Latias who blinked then drew back slightly, giving a little whimper which only made Ash laugh.

"It's scared of you Misty!"

"Is not! You're the one scaring it!" Misty yelled back so I quickly intervened.

"Guys, I don't think Latias likes being so overcrowded." I cut in with a pointed look at everyone so they all moved back. "There you are Latias, is that better?" I asked and Latias instantly nodded her head and snuggled into me.

All the other Pokémon craned their necks to get a better look, each one intrigued by this new addition so I put Latias on the ground then shifted back a little so that she lay on the grass. She gave me a brave smile then stretched out to sniff at a flower which only made her sneeze. "Oh isn't that the cutest thing?" Misty squealed, clapping her hands together and squirming on the spot.

Togepi and Pikachu approached, Togepi chirping happily and together they introduced themselves then everyone in turn. Latias gazed around her in wonder at all the Pokémon and people as I stood with mine, smiling. "That's right Latias. We're your family now." I told her, reaching down and picking her up again. "So you don't need to worry about anything. We'll keep you safe and help you grow big and strong, okay?" Latias nodded her head then let me carry her to the lake where I gave all of my Pokémon a bath.

Pikachu led a racing game where all Pokémon able to go into the water raced against each other from one lake to the other, though those too small jumped onto the back of those either bigger or where water types. Vaporeon carried Latias and Togepi, both of them trilling happily with closed eyes as they enjoyed the splash of water whilst I finished helping Misty to wash off the last of the suds on Bayleef's body to then let her jump into the water too, creating a massive wave which the Pokémon rode with glee.

Dragonair dove down with Pikachu, Jigglypuff and Cyndaquil before leaping back up again, causing a massive spray to shower down over the Pokémon who all squealed with laughter. "They're having a great time and I think Latias has really settled in here." Misty said to me and I nodded my head.

"Yeah it's great. I just don't understand how Latias's egg got here." I said, frowning in thought. "I found it in a nest, but it couldn't have been another Latias's nest, it looked more like a water type Pokémon nest as it was built from weeds, reeds and grass." I said.

"Well maybe Latias is a water type." Misty suggested but Brock shook his head as he approached.

"No, I think Latias is a flying type, judging by its body structure and the wing like fins on its back. Maybe it's just too young to know how to fly yet which is why it hasn't taken off from the ground." He said as Ash joined us too.

"You know, this is great. With a Latias on our side, we can never be beaten again in battle! I can't wait to see what moves it can do." Ash said but I merely reached out and whacked him on the head lightly.

"Cool down genius, we still don't have any information on Latias, so there's no knowing what it can learn. I think our best bet is asking Professor Oak when we get to the next Pokémon Centre. In the meantime, isn't that _your_ egg that Totodile is playing catch with in the water?" I asked, pointing out to where Totodile was squirting Water Gun directly upwards and boosting the egg in its incubator up in the air then blasted it over the lake to then race after it and catch it again.

"Argh! Totodile stop that right now!" Ash suddenly yelled then dived fully clothed into the lake after Totodile who merely sped away, abandoning the egg so it began to tumble down in the air but then Noctowl grabbed a hold of it, keeping it from getting further abused then brought it back to Brock who kept a hold of it as Ash began to flounder in the middle of the lake.

"Well this is interesting." Misty mused as I smirked then snapped a close up photo of Ash as he started to struggle to keep his head above water.

"Definitely." I agreed with a grin. We decided to move on after lunch but we stopped in the woods after we found a clearing to rest for the night, seeing as it was now dark. I got a fire started and after we had eaten again, we settled down and calmly watched the flames as they flickered in front of us.

"Huh?" I looked up as Ash noticed something. "There's something glowing in my backpack!" He turned around and pulled out the incubator with a glowing egg inside. "Hey! It's going to hatch!" Ash suddenly cheered before gulping. "What do I do?"

"Just stay calm, take a deep breath and try not to drop it." Brock said to Ash simply as Ash gulped again.

"Hey guys, we're finally going to see what's inside of it! I bet it'll be cute like Togepi." Misty said and I beamed.

"Or my Latias." I agreed but Ash just smiled.

"All I want is for it to be healthy, and get along great with all the other Pokémon. Right Pikachu?" Ash turned to Pikachu who nodded his head with a bright smile.

"Pikachu."

"Whatever it is, this is so exciting!" Brock said, gripping his knees tightly as I scooted closer.

"Do you think it'll be coming soon? Like right now?"

"Yeah, I just want to see it hatch!" Misty agreed. Looking at the glow I could see it wasn't as bright as Latias had been just moments before it hatched, so I guessed it would still be a while before it hatched.

"Hey, why don't we try and get some sleep? If we put out the fire, we'll be able to notice if the egg's light gets any brighter." I suggested and everyone nodded.

"Good idea. Though maybe we should take it in turns to egg sit, just in case." Brock said and Ash nodded his head again.

"Right! I'll go first because it's my egg. You three go on and get some rest." So we settled down and got some sleep, or at least tried to. We were all excited that I don't think any of us got much sleep regardless. In the morning the egg was still glowing the same as before, but just as Pikachu shook me awake, the light began to glow brighter.

"Oh!" I sat up instantly, Pikachu turning to watch with me as the egg grew into shape, small with longish ears and four legs until finally, a blue skinned Pokémon appeared with closed eyes and red stripes curling around its ears with a band across its trunk. The ears flicked out and waved a little as it looked up at Ash then smiled.

"Phanphy!" It greeted sweetly and Misty and I both awed quietly together.

"Alright, it's finally here!" Ash laughed with joy as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.

"Pikachu!" Ash pulled out Dexter and listened to the information stored there.

"Phanphy, the long nose Pokémon. Phanphy uses its powerful snout to express affection, not realising its strength can send you flying." Phanphy began to flutter its ears and called out rhythmically as Misty beamed.

"I knew it! It's so adorable, and look at those ears, so cute!"

"Its skin has a nice sheen too, that means it's really healthy." Brock said to Ash who sighed with relief.

"Alright, now all I have to do is put Phanphy inside of the Pokéball Mr Shelby gave me." He said then began to feel around his belt trying to locate it before blinking with worry and hastily checking his pockets. "Uh oh, what'd I do with it?!"

"Don't worry Ash, it's attached to the case Mr Shelby gave you. He knew what he was doing when he made that decision." Brock said reassuringly so Ash gave a little laugh.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." He pulled out the Pokéball and enlarged it before holding it out to Phanphy. "Okay Phanphy, return." He commanded but Phanphy jumped out of the way playfully, making Ash frown in confusion. "Come on Phanphy, return!" I watched as Phanphy began to dance and prance out of the way of the return beacon, smiling and flapping its ears as Ash only grew more and more annoyed. "I'm not going to tell you again Phanphy, now get in your ball!"

"I don't think Phanphy is listening to you Ash." Misty noted as Phanphy jumped further backwards.

"That's because Phanphy isn't trained to obey commands, it just thinks you're playing. Maybe you should try baiting it with some food and then see what happens." Brock suggested so I pulled some out from my backpack.

"Here, have some of this." I said, holding out the can then shook some pieces into Ash's hand.

"Thanks! Okay, here Phanphy! I have a special treat here for you, I think you're going to like it." Ash called temptingly, making Phanphy stop its playing around to sniff the air intriguingly. Phanphy walked forwards, still sniffing the food before finally reaching out and taking it.

"That's good Ash." I said with a smile. "You have to remember, Phanphy is only a baby, so you have to be careful how you treat it. You can't think of it as one of your other Pokémon yet, because they're much stronger and have more experience than Phanphy does, so in the beginning you need to nurture and gain its trust."

"Got it, no problem." Ash said, nodding his head. "Hey Phanphy, how about we play a game?" Ash suggested so I dug down deep into my pack and brought out a tennis ball.

"How about this? Catch it Ash!" I called and threw it forwards, making Ash dive for it with a laugh.

"Yeah! Come on Pikachu, let's show Phanphy how to play. Now watch close Phanphy." Ash said and Phanphy blinked curiously as Ash threw the ball up into the air and Pikachu raced after it, turning his head to look up then at the last moment, leaped up and whacked the ball back with his tail. "Alright! Great shot Pikachu!"

"I got it!" Misty called, grabbing the ball then tossed it back to Ash who turned to Phanphy.

"You ready Phanphy?" He questioned then threw it gently over to Phanphy who closed its eyes and wiggled its ears.

"Phanphy Phan!" With that it lifted its trunk then smacked the ball right back at Ash, hitting him in the face at full speed and sent him flying to the ground, making the others gasp and race over but I just keeled over with laughter as Phanphy paraded around proudly.

I gotta say, with Phanphy now in the gang, things are about to get a heck of a lot more interesting. Not to mention how hilarious it was each time Phanphy barrelled Ash over in its excitement. It's only been half an hour and I already have dozens of photos of an excited Phanphy trampling over Ash.


	33. Chapter 33

Trailing a little behind the others, I took a deep breath. If I knew that look on Brock's face, I'd say we were lost. Again. Ash remained in good spirits despite the fact, marching along and trumpeting about how he was going to get his next gym badge, however Pikachu suddenly slumped on his shoulder, cutting off his confident salute as its energy depleted. "What's wrong Pikachu?" Ash asked as I lifted my head and walked around to stand with the others as we all looked at Pikachu and Togepi, who had both suddenly lost all energy.

"Oh what's the matter Togepi?" Misty asked tenderly as Ash cradled Pikachu carefully in his arms.

"Are they both getting sick?" Misty touched a hand to Togepi's forehead, checking for a temperature before frowning.

"That's strange, it doesn't seem feverish." That is strange, both Togepi and Pikachu look totally wiped out. I wonder what could be wrong.

"That's not all that seems strange. Doesn't this spot look familiar to you? I think we've been walking around in circles." I clapped a hand to my forehead.

"I knew it." I sighed before taking a deep breath. "Okay, maybe we should check the map to see where we went wrong." I suggested but then Misty yelled in fear.

"Agh! Bu-bu-bugs!" Whirling around I found a Caterpie, Weedle and a Spinarak all hanging down off a branch by their silk string, but they all looked exhausted and lethargic, almost exactly like Pikachu and Togepi.

"Rattata…"

"Oddish Odd." I turned and saw a Rattata and an Oddish come crawling out of the bushes as other Pokémon also followed, crawling to us for help so I knelt down and picked up the Rattata, holding it carefully in my arms and checked for a temperature but found nothing wrong.

"Looks like all the Pokémon in this forest are sick and not just Pikachu and Togepi." Brock said but I shook my head.

"But Brock, this Rattata is in perfect health condition. I can't find anything wrong with it." I said as I finished checking the gums. Suddenly a piercing pain drilled into my head and I cried out without warning, gripping my head with both hands and the Rattata quickly slipped out of my lap as I felt the pain began to burn my mind, as if someone were drilling a nail into my skull.

"Ruby! Ruby what's wrong?" Ash demanded with worry as tears poured down my face.

"Pain…so much…pain!" I gasped just as a roar came from a short distance away. Now I get it, it wasn't my pain, it was a Pokémon's. Quickly I began to shove the feeling away, building a barrier around myself mentally and the agony began to dull, becoming more bearable as Misty swallowed nervously.

"So…so what was that sound guys?" I stood up and quickly wiped my eyes dry, putting on a brave fast before starting to run forwards.

"A Pokémon in trouble, that's what." I answered. "Come on, we have to help!" I called and they chased after me as I followed the direction of the sound and also the intensity of the pain in my head. The closer I got to the source, the more painful it got until I was clenching my eyes shut and gripping my head again.

"Ruby! Are you okay?" Ash asked again as I shook my head.

"No…there's a Pokémon in pain. A lot of pain. I can feel it." I told him, grunting slightly as I tried to force the pain out of my head. "We've got to keep going." Brock lent me a hand, putting an arm around me and helped to lead me forwards.

"Take it easy, remember what Professor Oak said, using your powers can be dangerous and if it really is aura, then you need to use your own aura to try and block out all other outside influences. I've heard of it being done before." Brock advised so I took a deep breath and began to focus on my inner strength, pushing it out almost like a cloak and instantly the pain disappeared. "You're doing it!"

"Huh?" I looked around me to see myself veiled in a mystical blue shield which moulded to my body. "Neat." I breathed, looking at my hands before turning my eyes to the lake. "It's coming from in there." I pointed as the glow sank back into my skin but remained functional as I kept my focus going.

Suddenly with a rush of water and explosive roars the source of all the commotion rose up from the surface of a great lake. A Gyarados, writhing in agony with scales gleaming as red as anger, causing us all to scream aloud in fear.

"ARGH! A GYARADOS!" The Gyarados swung its head and I began to feel a little of the pain come back. Whatever I felt, I couldn't be anything compared to what that Gyarados was feeling. I have to help it!

"I wonder if it's red because it's so shiny." Ash said as his teeth clattered together so I whacked the back of his head.

"No smart comments genius, this is serious!"

"Whatever the reason, I've never seen it before." Brock said as he stared up in awe and Misty shrank back behind us slightly.

"First those yucky bug Pokémon and now this!" Shaking my head I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, punching my fists together and a burst of my aura shot out towards the Gyarados in an attempt to calm it down. I could feel its pain and fear, but also its typical Gyarados anger. Something was going on in this lake that wasn't natural. We had to figure out what and make it stop.

"Gyarados please listen to me." I said aloud, trying to connect to the poor Pokémon. "I'm here to help you, but I can't hear you if you keep on screaming so loud. You need to calm down so that you can tell me what's wrong." I told it and for a moment, it seemed to respond, going still and trying to calm down its temper but it didn't work for long.

"Ruby watch out!" Suddenly all three of my friends ploughed into me, snapping my concentration as the Gyarados powered a Hydro Pump down at us, making us all yell and dance out of the way as it almost hit its mark. "I'm thinking that Gyarados might be sick too!" Brock said as I shook out my head then looked up with worry.

"Yeah, it's sure acting like it."

"Sick or not, I think we'd better get out of here." Misty suggested but I stepped forwards and shook my head.

"No! We can't just leave it." I told them firmly, stepping forwards and went for a Pokéball. "Jigglypuff, time for a concert!"

"Hold it!" I froze in place, blinking then looked to some tough guy standing there with a couple of dumb looking grunts alongside him. "I regret to inform you that since you've actually _seen_ that red Gyarados, you can't leave!" Says who? Wait a second, don't I know that uniform?

"Hey, that letter!" Ash pointed and we all chorused as one.

"It's Team Rocket!"

"So you've heard of us have you? Just another reason why I wouldn't dream of letting you leave." He told us so I stepped in front of my friends and held out a protective hand.

"You try anything and _you'll_ be the one wanting to leave." I told him boldly with Jigglypuff's Pokéball in hand. The muscle guy smirked before sending out his Pokéball, letting out the Pokémon of his choice.

"Go! Fearow!"

"Jigglypuff, take the stage!" I called and Jigglypuff came out of her Pokéball with an elegant spin, microphone in hand before striking a pose mid-air then landed on the ground with a dainty hop.

"Jigglypuff!" She declared her presence so I clenched a fist before flinging out my hand to Team Rocket.

"Alright Jigglypuff, time for an afternoon nap, use Sing!"

"Jiggly! Jiggly…puff…" Suddenly Jigglypuff swayed on her feet, going all woozy and faint.

"Oh! Jigglypuff!"

"Fearow, use Drill Peck!" Not wasting a second I leaped forwards and grabbed Jigglypuff, rolling on the ground as the Fearow dived for us.

"No!" Everyone yelled as I put Jigglypuff behind me and shielded her from harm before facing the Fearow.

"You stop right THERE!" I bellowed, thrusting out a hand and with it came a rush of energy which I felt from the core of my body before it rose out and formed a shield around me, one that covered myself, Jigglypuff and my friends in a sweeping bubble, making us all gasp in shock.

"Jiggly? Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff suddenly bounced as Pikachu and Togepi perked up as well.

"Ruby, how are you doing that?" Ash asked with a laugh as I just stared.

"I…I don't know. I just wanted to protect you all." I said as the Fearow pecked at my shield. "Go away you stupid bird!" I yelled at him but then without warning, an Ice Beam struck the Fearow from above. In my shock my concentration broke and the shield disappeared, leaving us exposed but then a Dragonite appeared with a passenger, who leaped off with a sweep of its cloak then turned to face us with bright pink hair spiked in all directions.

"Hey you kids, turn and run back into the woods, hurry!" He called and I looked down to see Jigglypuff already going weary and weak again so I nodded my head.

"Okay. Let's go everyone." I said, returning Jigglypuff to her ball then raced into the trees with the others, glancing back to see the Team Rocket members starting to chase after us but the Dragonite rose up into the sky and beat them back with powerful blasts of its wings, allowing us to escape.

After running a fair distance we stopped, gasping for breath. "Who was that?" Misty gasped as I looked up at the sky.

"I don't know but we sure owe him one." I said simply. "Look! There he is!" I pointed as I spotted the Dragonite with the rider, descending slowly but surely down to the ground in front of us where the rare and almost legendary Pokémon looked straight at me. Wow…maybe my Dragonair will end up like that one day.

"That was cool what you did back there." Ash said to him. "Thanks so much." Suddenly Pikachu perked up and beamed brightly.

"Pi-kachu!" Ash turned and smiled with a relieved laugh.

"Hey Pikachu, are you feeling a little better?"

"Pika." Pikachu nodded his head as Togepi trilled happily.

"Togepi! You're feeling better too." Misty said softly as the dragon trainer jumped off of his Dragonite. My eyes were instantly drawn to the beautiful, large brown ones and I smiled. Oh it's just so cute! I reached up and the Dragonite instantly pressed his nose into my hands, making me giggle as I hugged its soft face and tickled its chin. Adorable!

"So tell me, how did you guys end up wandering in the forest?" The trainer asked so Ash answered for us all as I was a little busy admiring this amazing Dragonite, look at how gorgeous its eyes were! And those little paws, aw!

"We got lost. We were just on our way to Mahogany Town so Ruby and I could compete in a gym battle." Ash said a little guiltily but then Misty spoke up.

"Hold on, you look kind of familiar to me. Isn't your name Lance?" She questioned and instantly I froze in place, staring at the guy as I stopped rubbing the Dragonite's belly as it rolled over on the ground in laughter. Lance. You mean the Elite Four Lance?

"That's right! You're the undisputed Champion of the Elite Four!" Brock realised and I gulped. Yup. That Lance.

"Awesome! You're that totally unbeatable Dragonite trainer." Suddenly everyone looked to me, frozen still as a statue in the middle of tickling Dragonite so I gave a guilty smile before leaping back quickly.

"Sorry, it's just I love your Dragonite. It's totally cute." I said with a blush as Dragonite rolled back onto its feet then nuzzled into my neck, blowing hot air against my skin and I giggled as it tickled, making Lance smile.

"My Dragonite seems to like you. Tell me, Ruby is it? Were you aware that you can use aura? What you did back there was something I haven't seen in a very long time." I scuffed my shoe and nodded my head as I twisted and pulled on the neckerchief around my neck.

"Yeah. It's something I've been trying to work on but I haven't got very far with it." I said quietly. "Oh by the way, these are my friends Ash, Brock and Misty." I said and they all waved and said hi though Ash stepped forwards with an excited look on his face.

"Whoa, I can't believe my luck!"

"Wait." Misty said, holding out a hand and shaking her head. "What's a guy like you doing way out here?" She questioned as I walked back over to join the gang.

"I'm investigating. As one of the Pokémon G-Men, I'm here to uncover any foul play at Lake Rage." He explained and we all blinked blankly before chorusing together.

"A Pokémon G-Man?" We all questioned and Lance nodded his head.

"That's right. Our main purpose as a detective unit is to travel the country, investigating and arresting anyone who improperly treats Pokémon." Instantly I punched the air as I leaped up.

"Alright! Now that sounds like my kind of organisation!" I cheered before landing on the ground. "So that means you're here to find out what's been going on here with that red Gyarados." Lance nodded his head then looked over his shoulder.

"It seems that Team Rocket are up to no good again with some kind of experiment going on at Lake Rage."

"You know what kind?" Ash asked.

"I have a strong hunch it has something to do with that red Gyarados you guys just saw." Ash and I looked at one another, nodded our heads once then turned to face Lance.

"We'll help you out." I said and Ash smiled.

"Yeah, that'll be so awesome! Can we please help you with your job Lance?" Ash begged but Lance instantly cut us short.

"No way. The forest is a very dangerous place with lots of twists and turns and I couldn't take responsibility for what might happen to all of you." He said before pointing to the path leading away from where we stood. "I must insist you follow this path until you reach the riverbank which will lead you four to Mahogany Town." Ash and I both just stared at him.

"But…we really want to help."

"I'm sorry but no." He affirmed so I sighed in defeat. Guess that's final then. When it comes to arguing with a champion Dragonite trainer…you just don't go there. So with sullen expressions and hanging heads, Ash and I turned and followed the path at Lance's command.

We followed the path until we found the river, so we then followed the river towards Mahogany Town. We'd got a fair distance out of the woods when I suddenly felt another bought of pain. It wasn't as strong as before, and this time I heard a tiny voice calling in my head.

 _Help_.

That's it. I don't care who tells me to do what, I'm not about to turn my back on a Pokémon that needs my help! If Lance thinks this is dangerous then he's obviously never fallen off of cliffs or nearly drowned before! We've done stuff just as dangerous as this and so it's not going to stop me!

"Ruby what's wrong?" Brock asked, noticing I had stopped walking. I turned around and looked back the way we came.

"I can't go further. I'm going back to Lake Rage." I announced making Misty gasp.

"You can't! You heard what Lance said."

"I don't care." I told her firmly, making her blink in surprise. "You didn't feel it Misty. None of you did. You didn't feel how much pain that Gyarados was in, and it's all because of Team Rocket!" I lowered my head and clenched my fists at my side. "Well I made a promise to myself that I'd be a trainer that would always help a Pokémon in need, and that Gyarados needs me right now! It needs all of us!"

"Yeah! We can't let Team Rocket get away with hurting any more Pokémon. Whatever they're doing, it's affecting that Gyarados and it could affect other Pokémon as well. Including your Togepi and your Pikachu." Brock agreed, making Misty look down lovingly at her Togepi.

"I couldn't bear to think of anything happening to my sweet little Togepi." She said as Ash clenched a fist.

"Ruby's right, it's our duty as trainers to help a Pokémon in need. Let's go back to Lake Rage!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed and Misty nodded her head.

"I agree. Let's go!" Stepping back I pulled out a Pokéball then tossed it up into the air.

"Then everybody climb aboard! Dragonair, it's show time!" Dragonair appeared and instantly I jumped onto her back as she lifted off the ground. "Dragonair, we need you to fly us back to the lake, with your dragon typing, maybe you'll be strong enough to deflect any effect that seems to be hurting all the Pokémon just like Lance's Dragonite, shall we give it a try?"

Dragonair nodded her head then called out determinedly, letting everyone climb onto her back as Ash called out in excitement, laughing as he hung onto my waist and Dragonair suddenly flew forwards, stretching out her neck and spearing through the air like a graceful streak.

It took very little time to head back to the lake and when we got there, the Gyarados was being dragged behind a Team Rocket boat in a net, fainted and unable to battle back. "No!" I gasped, springing off Dragonair's back as she lowered herself down to the ground. "Team Rocket, you get back here!"

"That poor Gyarados looks like it's unconscious!" Shaking my head I took off my hat and flung it to the ground, quickly taking off my pack to throw them down too. "Ruby what're you doing?" Misty demanded as I climbed back onto Dragonair.

"I'm getting Gyarados out of there." I answered. "Go Dragonair!" Turning around Dragonair dove into the water then began to stream forwards after the boat.

"Totodile, go help Ruby free Gyarados!" Ash called, sending out his dancing Pokémon who kicked up his feet then dove into the water.

"I never really liked that big Gyarados, but it needs help. Poliwhirl, you're up!" Misty called and Poliwhirl came to join the ranks too. "Poliwhirl, you help Ruby too!" I looked back over my shoulder to see the both of them chasing after Gyarados, catching up with Dragonair and I as she gracefully sped through the water.

I stood up so that I surfed on Dragonair's back, holding on with one hand as we reached the Gyarados then jumped on. "Hey it's the twerp with attitude and some of their Pokémon." Meowth said dazedly and I stared down at them.

"What are you three doing here?" I demanded but then shook my head. "Never mind. Totodile! Poliwhirl, try tear open the net, Dragonair, you keep anyone who tries to attack out of our way, okay?" Dragonair nodded her head then faced forwards, watching for any advances as I climbed up the Gyarados's body.

"Ow! Hey we appreciate the help but watch the hairdo!" Jessie yelled at Totodile as he accidentally grabbed some of her hair as well. I reached Gyarados's face and took a deep breath before putting my hand through the net and closing my eyes.

"Wake up Gyarados, wake up. You need to try and fight your way out of this." I said to him, trying to shift my aura onto him to help give him strength. "You have to wake up and fight back." Suddenly I noticed Totodile and Poliwhirl falling back, going sleepy and lethargic but Dragonair powered on, the sudden blast of energy I was sensing not affecting her at the beginning but then she slowly began to drift behind. "Dragonair return!" I called and summoned her back to her Pokéball.

"Meowth? Are you alright? What's going on?" Jessie asked as Meowth began to warble to himself.

"I think I'm going to have a nappy-poo." He said before face planting the water, making James shriek.

"Meowth you've capsized!"

"Keep his head above water!" I said to them, jumping down and hanging onto the net and they looked up at me.

"Huh?"

"If Meowth inhales the water, he'll drown, you two make sure he keeps above water, I think your stupid team are using some sort of energy wave which causes Pokémon to go lethargic and weak like this." I told them and James instantly drew Meowth to him for safety as Jessie shook her fist at me.

"Who're you calling stupid?" She yelled at me but then I heard a rush in the air. Looking up with a growl I saw a ring of blue spinning towards me, fired from the deck of the ship so I quickly leaped and rolled out the way, grabbing back onto the net to keep from getting hit as the grunts glared at me though one or two of them were smirking.

"You're not going to get away from us little girl. Second round, fire!" Suddenly I had more than one set of rings shooting towards me and I had to move fast to dodge them. I kicked the first one aside then flipped back over my head, avoiding the next three then sank low to against the Gyarados to miss the last ones.

"Gyarados, please wake up!"

"Don't wake up! We're still trapped in here!" James whined as I saw another bunch of trapping rings coming straight for me. Glancing back to the lakeshore I could see Ash and the others being loaded into a small speedboat, captured by that idiot tough guy we'd met before. Alright, so if that's the game then there's only one thing I could do.

Turning just in time I saw another set of trapping tools being sent my way, making me cry out in shock as I let go and fell back into the water, hearing Ash yelling my name as I dove under. Before I could panic I clenched my fists and touched them together, closing my eyes and tried to repeat what I had done before, thrusting out a hand but nothing happened.

As my lungs began to demand for air, I struggled to keep my mind at ease as I meditated, focusing all my energy on my aura then slowly but steadily pushed it out from within me. The moment I had created a secure bubble I called out Vaporeon and instantly grabbed onto her, pointing up to the surface so she swam upwards.

The moment I broke free I sucked in a deep breath then dove downwards again with Vaporeon, diving deep before pointing ahead where I could see Gyarados still half in the water. "Vaporeon!" Vaporeon nodded her head then chased after the boat and Gyarados, my protective shield keeping her from the effect of the energy waves.

We were led to a Team Rocket base so I let go of Vaporeon for a moment and let the shield go as well, testing the area and found energy waves still going strong so I returned Vaporeon with a smile as she began to be affected then swam for the docks were I broke the surface and instantly gasped for breath, taking deep gulps of air before shrinking back in the shadows.

With the pier as my cover I could hear Ash calling out in an angry tone. "Hey you! What do you think you're going to do with that red Gyarados anyway?" He demanded so I inched closer to listen.

"Seeing as you're going to become our permanent guests, I can see no harm in enlightening you about Project-R."

"So what's Project-R?" Ash asked haughtily and I smiled. Have to admire Ash's spunk, even tied up and with things looking grim, he's still going fight it out to the end.

"Short for Project Revolution. It's a revolutionary new system that allows Team Rocket to actually manipulate a Pokémon's evolution." Instantly my eyes widened in shock. So that means the Gyarados they're lifting out of the water now was the result of some experiment?! And I thought Jessie and James were the lowlifes of Team Rocket. Turns out they're not too bad.

"Manipulate evolution?!" Brock sounded as enraged as I felt.

"You can't, that's interfering with nature!" Misty told them angrily but the scientist merely continued to explain.

"Look at that Gyarados. It is undeniable proof that our Evolution Inducement Wave is a success in every sense of the word."

"Evolution Inducement Wave?" I mouthed along with the others, looking down at the water as I kept myself perfectly still and hidden, listening to the conversation that was going right above my head.

"Just as soon as we had focused my beautiful new invention into Lake Rage, there appeared a single Magikarp which promptly evolved into a Gyarados." Shaking my head I began to try and think up a plan. Think Ruby think! What can you do? What should you do? What's most important at the moment? Rescuing friends or freeing Gyarados? Think!

"But…how could you?" Biting my lip I looked up at the wood of the pier as Ash spoke in utter shock.

"Thanks to you we have also learned that our wave can also be used as a great weapon." The scientist revealed before the dumb muscular grunt behind him added on for good measure.

"Thanks to your Pokémon we should say!" Stupid grunt, I'll get you for this! No one treats Pokémon like this, not on my watch! How's that thinking coming along Ruby?

Oh great, fine, so far I've come up with a start of a plan for a plan.

Yeah, what's that?

…make a plan.

…great. Now I'm talking to myself. Isn't that the first sign of insanity?

"But there seems to be several bugs left to be worked out." The scientist continued so I stopped hitting my head against a post and turned my ear upwards to listen. "You see that red colour of Gyarados is most likely a lingering trait from its Magikarp stage. As soon as we can make a thorough investigation of Gyarados, we can complete our evolution inducement wave. Then we'll just evolve our Pokémon stronger and stronger, allowing us to create the ultimate Pokémon army." Okay, so first step of the plan. Destroy signal tower so that no more inducement waves can be used. Good, that's a great start!

"You think you're getting away with that?" Ash demanded as Brock and Misty joined forces with him.

"Real evolution requires both a Pokémon _and_ a trainer!" Yeah! Go Brock! You tell them!

"Your plan will never ever work!" You too Misty, let's see some of that famous redhead temper!

"Complain all you like, there's not much you little kids can do about it now, is there?" The stupid henchman said to them before leading them away. "Let's get you settled into your new room so you're all cosy and warm."

"Don't forget, our friend Ruby is still out there. She's going to come and then you'll all be sorry!" Ash threatened and I glowed inwardly with pride. Thanks Ash, I'll remember that one. The henchman laughed.

"That little girl won't even make a scratch if she tries to get her nails into this project. Besides, there's no sign of her that my divers can find. She's either gone or she's now resting peacefully at the bottom of the lake. By the way she went in the water, I'd say the latter."

"No!" Misty gasped as the boys both growled. I'll show him. Okay, destroy tower. Good. Then free friends. Extra good. Then go free Gyarados, kick Team Rocket's butt and save the day. Sounds like a plan to me!

So I waited until I heard the trucks had moved out, carrying Gyarados in a tank away from the base so I rose up out of the water, carefully looked around then climbed up onto the pier soaking wet and dripping with water. Just great. Hey, I know someone who can help!

"Charizard, I choose you!" I called, flinging the Pokéball up into the air then caught it again once Charizard was out and flying through the sky, drawing some attention to him from the few grunts left behind but I didn't worry about them. We can handle them no problem. "Quick Charizard, blast down that tower with Flamethrower before it begins to take effect on you!" I called and Charizard instantly flew for the signal tower.

"Stop them! We can't let that tower be compromised!" The grunts all called and began to ran for me so I brought out my next guest star.

"Go, Jigglypuff! It's show time! Sing for us all!"

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff called as Charizard blasted the tower with a powerful Flamethrower, making it bend slightly and crumble but it still remained operational.

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff called then began to sing though her eyes began to droop of their own accord.

"Hurry Charizard, I'm counting on you!" I called up, clenching my fists so Charizard shook his head and roared, setting his body alight with Inferno then powered the signal tower with a Fire Blast, blowing it to pieces and instantly, Jigglypuff perked up.

"Puff? Puff!" Taking a deep breath she began to use Sing, little musical notes floating out of her mouth as she held the microphone there and with each pop, the notes burst in front of a grunt's face and they all fell asleep, snoozing away so I laughed.

"Great job Jigglypuff, you too Charizard, I knew you could do it!" I called. "Now return, there's still a lot to do." I said, returning them to their Pokéballs then ran inside the building where Ash and the others were being held. It was easy enough to find them, seeing as Ash was yelling so loud.

"Let us out of here! You can't do this! Let us out right now!"

"Calm down genius or I might decide to just leave you here." I said, folding my arms and smirking as I walked through the door having past a snoring Jessie James and Meowth.

"Ruby!" Brock and the others instantly beamed, leaping to their feet. "You're okay!"

"Of course I'm okay, I'd never bunk out on you guys. How about we set you free?" I suggested, swinging the keys around my finger then pressed the middle button of the remote control I had swiped from James also.

"How'd you get those?" Misty asked as I unlocked the door and the restraints around them unclicked, letting them all go.

"Well, it looks like Jessie and James had a little celebratory feast and now they're snoozing away like babies." I said. "So it was pretty easy. Charizard destroyed the signal tower and Jigglypuff sang everyone to sleep, so if we hurry we can catch up with the others and rescue that Gyarados before it reaches the exchange point." I said, flinging the door open and running for the exit. "Let's go!"

"Hold up Ruby, I think you'll need these." Brock said then tossed me my hat and pack, making me smile as I caught them both. "Thought you'd like them back."

"Thanks Brock, I owe you one." I said before leading the way out. "Hurry!" We raced out of the detention unit and into the main hanger but then Jessie, James and Meowth suddenly were chasing after us.

"Slow down!"

"Arbok, Poison Sting!" Jessie commanded and Arbok cut off our escape with a volley of sharp needles, making Brock lunge for my arms and drag me back out the way before I could get hit.

"Thanks again Brock." I smiled at him then glared at Jessie. "You'll pay for that Jessica!" I yelled and instantly her eye twitched in anger before she roared at me.

"Don't call me Jessica! Arbok, get that insolent little twerp, tie them up into a package Arbok with wrap attack!" I leaped forwards and was about to bring out Dragonair when an Ice Beam struck Arbok, sending it flying back to Jessie and the others as wheels screeched to a halt and Dragonair flew to its side, standing behind a figure dressed in Team Rocket uniform as they got out the vehicle. What's going on?

"Who're you?" Jessie demanded and James shouted out.

"You've got some nerve crashing our capture!" In answer the figure smirked.

"The name's…Lance of the Pokémon G-Men!" He declared, flinging off his Team Rocket uniform then flicked out his cloak stylishly, making me grin. Alright! We're saved! Wait a second, _I'm_ supposed to be leading the rescue mission here! Oh well, can't have all the glory.

"Pokémon G-what?" Team Rocket echoed together.

"G-Men." Meowth told them and James blinked down at him before scratching his head.

"Oh Meowth, I thought you were still asleep." He said and Meowth instantly kicked off.

"Thanks for the concern!" We all ran over to Lance, calling out together.

"Hey Lance!" He looked at us then nodded his head in satisfaction, obviously reassured that we were all okay.

"Ugh, I don't care if you're a G-Man a tree-man or a He-Man, you're soon to be an ex-man! Arbok, use Acid attack let's go!" Jessie ordered and Arbok moved forwards with surprising speed but Lance was just as fast.

"Dragonite, Twister!" Hey, that's one of my favourite moves! Haven't used it in a while though, maybe I should make sure Pidgeot, Dragonair and I haven't gone rusty with it. Focus Ruby! As I watched Dragonite blasted a powerful twisting cyclone at Arbok, sucking him in then dragged Team Rocket in with it, spinning them around and around with power I've never seen before with such a simple move. Definitely we have to work on that!

Team Rocket were blasted into the sky and I punched the air in victory. "Alright! Score one to the Dragonite!" Dragonite beamed down at us before landed behind Lance as he turned to face us with a serious expression.

"I warned you about coming back." He told us and we all hung our heads. Before anyone else could take the blame, I stepped forwards.

"It was my idea to come back, please don't blame the others. We do everything as a team, and if I hadn't insisted on coming back to help Gyarados then maybe we wouldn't be here right now." I said but then Brock lay a hand on my shoulder.

"No Ruby, we would have come back regardless of your influence. We all knew that coming back was the right thing, you only helped us see that sooner." He said before giving a respectful bow to Lance. "So if there's anyone to blame, it should be all of us, not just Ruby." Lance regarded us all carefully, musing his thoughts before giving a small smile and a nod of his head.

"I understand. You're all just as worried about the Pokémon as I am." He said which instantly made me yelp.

"Gyarados! Come on don't just stand there, all of you get in the car and let's go after Team Rocket!" I yelped but sent out a Pokéball. "Dragonair, time to fly again!" Lance's eyes widened as my Dragonair appeared with a dazzling light, glowing with a white aura from the power of its levitating ability.

"You train a Dragonair?" He questioned, not hiding his impressed expression. "It looks very strong."

"Thanks, but we should probably save Pokémon admiring for later, that Gyarados needs our help." I reminded him so he nodded his head.

"Right. Dragonite, give that machine a Hyper Beam to make sure they can't try to start up anything again." Lance said for good measure as everyone climbed into the car and I jumped onto Dragonair's back, rising up into the air as Dragonite blasted the machinery with a powerful Hyper Beam.

Instantly everything began to blow so I quickly directed Dragonair out of the way, escaping through the open gangway with Lance, Ash and the others all driving in the car. Dragonair streaked ahead, soaring over the road and heading in a straight beeline for Mahogany Town, Lance following close behind.

"Hold on Gyarados, I'm coming." I vowed gently to myself, holding onto Dragonair before taking a deep breath to keep calm. Dragonair sped forwards, increasing her speed as she snaked through the air, Mahogany Town coming into view.

After a moment I spotted the choppers spinning out of control with a writhing Gyarados being carried in their net between them, however the moment they crash landed in the water, Gyarados broke free and blasted a Hydro Pump at their airlift base, blasting the truck into smithereens.

It then turned its attack on the cliff which made the road where Lance was driving along but suddenly screeched to a halt as Ash jumped out. Oh great, what' the genius doing now? He raced alongside Gyarados as it head upriver towards Mahogany Town, still in a rage and in great pain.

"I'm really glad you got away from them Gyarados, that's great!" Ash called up but when Gyarados stopped and looked down, I knew it wasn't to say thank you.

"Hurry Dragonair!" I called desperately and she dove down, flying at a steep angle then swept along the ground as Gyarados blasted it apart with Hydro Pump but I managed to grab Ash and pull him up behind me as Dragonair carried us both out of the way of the hit.

"Thanks Ruby, thanks Dragonair, that was a close one." I turned back a smirk.

"No sweat Ash." Suddenly Dragonair pulled up, twisting to try and get out the way as Gyarados fired another attack on some cliff side cabins.

"No! Stop that Gyarados!" Ash yelled so I grit my teeth.

"Dragonair, hit with Ice Beam and get its attention!" I said and Dragonair instantly obeyed, shooting a stream of ice towards Gyarados which struck the back of its head but Gyarados only continued on the rampage, heading straight for Mahogany Town.

"It didn't work! We have to hit with more power." Ash said and I nodded my head.

"You got it Ash, let's go Dragonair!" Dragonair called out confidently then soared forwards, diving into the water then gained speed by swimming, carrying us both on her back as she raced after Gyarados as it continued to rage.

Suddenly I saw cars streaking ahead of us, following the road. Team Rocket cars. "We can't let them get to Gyarados, they'll only trap it again and take it to a lab to be experimented on." Ash said. "Ruby, do you think you could stop them?"

"Sure, we'll try. Okay Dragonair, fly up and block the road with Ice Beam!" I called and instantly Dragonair rose up, calling out mystically to fly ahead above the road then began to build a thick wall of ice which blocked the road, stopping the cars from passing.

"Ash! Ruby!" Brock and Misty yelled, waving their hands to catch our attention so I picked up another Pokéball.

"Charizard, we need your help. Get Brock and Misty then follow us!" I said as I let Charizard out of his Pokéball and instantly he soared through the air, flying low to the ground where Misty and Brock leaped onto his back and together, we flew after Gyarados.

When we found the point where Gyarados had reached, I gasped when I saw three more Team Rocket cars already captured Gyarados in an electric current net. The moment they amped up the volts I felt a wave of pain spark through my mind, making me cry out and before I could do anything to block it, lost consciousness.

"Ruby!" Ash lunged forwards and tried to grab me as I fell from Dragonair's back but I was already too far out of reach and I plunged into the water, however the shock jolted me awake and I was faced with the static struck body of Gyarados as I heard it roar in fury and agony before it collapsed also, sending a wave through the water but I swam against the current and gripped onto the net, holding on as the three trucks dragged Gyarados ashore.

"Gyarados, wake up!" I called, trying to shake it awake but it was too hurt to register my calling.

"Ruby!" I blinked upwards and saw Charizard and Dragonair descending to the ground, my friends all riding their backs so I turned to the net, then to the trucks before pointing.

"Charizard, Flamethrower! Dragonair, Thunderbolt!" I called and instantly they both let loose their attacks, hitting the ground mere inches before the vehicles and they were flung forwards, breaking the ropes on the net also so I sighed with relief. "It's alright now Gyarados, you're safe now."

"I'm going to get those little punks!" One of the grunts declared, arming his net cannon and aimed for us but Ash flung out his arms to try and shield Gyarados.

"Stop it!" Charizard instantly roared with unbridled fury, stretching out his wings to shield me. Maybe I should've warned them that Charizard is very protective of me, and he doesn't like it when people try and threaten me. Oops. However when I felt Gyarados stir, it was nothing like Charizard's roar. It completely dominated everything else as he rose, tossing the net from his body and I had to jump to avoid being tangled in it before landing on his head again.

Gyarados let out a powerful Hyper Beam and directed it at the Team Rocket grunts, ripping up the ground and when one of the cars exploded, they were all tossed up into the air and I don't think they landed for quite some time after that take off.

"Awesome! Great job Gyarados!" Ash praised as I rubbed his head.

"You were amazing Gyarados." I told him softly but then Gyarados collapsed, taking me with him. I yelled and clung onto his head for support as Gyarados clashed into the ground, shivering weakly from the ordeal it had been put through. "Gyarados!"

"It's weak from all the electric attacks and from being dragged out of the water!" Brock called up so Ash looked determinedly at Gyarados.

"You gotta get back into the water Gyarados!" The pain filled Pokémon tried to shift back into the water but without warning, a net clamped down around us and I cried out, still standing on Gyarados's head. "No! Where'd that net come from?!"

"Prepare for trouble, you shall be caught!" Jessie declared and I looked up to see the Team Rocket balloon as it lifted us both off the ground.

"I'm already caught!" I yelled back at them.

"Make it double with the net we've brought!"

"I'll catch you in a net if you're not careful!" I growled back, trying to break free as Charizard growled with worry and Dragonair called out.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend the reach to the stars above…"

"WILL YOU TWO BE QUIET AND JUST LET US BOTH OUT OF THIS NET BEFORE I COMPELTELY LOSE IT!" I thundered, thrashing out at the net and interrupting Jessie and James's motto, trying to tear both Gyarados and I out of the net. "If you don't put Gyarados back in the water right now then it could become seriously weak and maybe even die!"

"Oh boo hoo, you're just trying to scare us into letting the Gyarados go. Nice try twerp but it's not going to work. Ta tah!" I gasped as rockets ignited by the basket and we shot up into the air, making Charizard roar in anger then fly up with Dragonair close behind as Ash raced for the net.

"Oh no you don't!" He grunted as he grabbed on then began to climb his way up.

"Ash be careful!" I called down to him then turned to face Charizard. "Okay Charizard, burn through with Flamethrower!" I called but Team Rocket smartly began to manoeuvre the jet powered balloon from side to side to try and shake off Ash, avoiding Charizard's attacks in the process. "You can do it Charizard! Just focus, aim for where they're going to be, not where they are!" I instructed and Charizard took a deep breath, focusing deeply before aiming another shot but Team Rocket then moved downwards.

"How about a little dip?!" Meowth yelled and dunked us all into the water, making Ash struggle to hold on but before he could let go I stuck my hand through the net and clung to his hand.

"Just hang on!" I yelled, struggling to keep a hold but then, without warning, Gyarados woke up, and he was _mad_. With a roar he began to struggle and the balloon rose up, Team Rocket staring in shock at their stupid mistake until Charizard finally landed a hit, burning through the rope the same moment Gyarados snapped it open, flinging Ash to the bank and me up into the air with a scream as Team Rocket also crash landed.

My arms and legs flailed uselessly as I tried to somehow make myself fly, but nothing seemed to work. Why can't I evolve like a Pokémon! I'm going to crash! Without warning large arms suddenly curled around me and I gasped, looking up to see Charizard with a smirk on his face and Dragonair floating in the air above him, both looking down at me with glad expressions so I sighed with relief. "Well, at least you guys can fly." I said before sitting bolt upright. "Gyarados!" I turned to see him continuing his war path to Mahogany Town, even angrier than before.

Ash and the others were already running after him, taking the bridge walk to cut ahead of him so I shifted onto Charizard's back then pointed forwards. "Okay, this time, we'll stop him for sure! Let's go both of you, fast as you can!"

With a roar Charizard flew forwards and Dragonair dove after us, diving down into the water then sailed at full pelt after Gyarados. I saw ahead of me Ash and the others facing down Gyarados at the bridge, trying to reason with it but in my own mind, I knew that Gyarados couldn't hear a thing. It was too confused and too angry to understand anything anyone was saying. Just then Gyarados roared and prepared to fire a Hyper Beam attack.

"Dragonair, dive down and then use Protect to shield the others when Gyarados attacks then use Ice Beam on the water to cut off his route." I called and Dragonair instantly dove down. I heard the others yell in fear and turn away from the attack but then Dragonair rose up into the air before them and a strong shield formed around her, protecting them from the blast of Gyarados's Hyper Beam before she lifted her head then froze the water before him, cutting him off. "Now Charizard, get me closer so I can reach Gyarados." I said and Charizard instantly turned in a roll, gliding over Gyarados's head so I dropped down and landed.

Instantly Gyarados began to try and shake me off, roaring and thrashing but the moment I closed my eyes and pressed my hands to his head, he went perfectly still as I shifted my aura onto him, sending him soothing and relaxing waves which instantly made him drowsy. "It's alright Gyarados, you're safe now." I told him gently, keeping the concentration as I spoke. "We're your friends, we're not here to hurt you. We're here to make things better."

"Wow, check it out. Ruby's actually talking to Gyarados." I heard Ash breathe.

"Yeah, that's amazing. She's calmed it down from its rage." Taking another deep breath I gave a small smile.

"I know you're in pain, but it'll go away very soon I promise." But suddenly the pain built back up, overcoming my aura and Gyarados broke free, shaking his head and roared, turning and began to swim back the other way in another rage. "Gyarados no, please listen!" I called, almost losing my balance as it tore through the water, aiming for a cluster of homes. "You've got to stop this!"

"Hang on Ruby! We're coming!" Misty yelled so I hung on for dear life, clenching my eyes tightly shut as my heart hammered wildly in my chest. This isn't good, if I can't calm Gyarados down then the only way to subdue it is by battling, but that could seriously injure Gyarados for life! I can't battle him. "Look, its Lance!" Daring to look up I saw Lance standing with his Dragonite by the bank.

"Ruby, you need to let go of Gyarados so I can battle it." Lance informed me so I instantly clung on tighter.

"No!" I shouted back stubbornly.

"Let go now! I can't attack with you in the way, you could get hurt!"

"No!" Again I shook my head as Gyarados began to fire a Hyper Beam. I can't let Gyarados feel any more pain, it's just not fair. I promised to help Pokémon and so I'm going to help this one too.

"Ruby, get out of the way, _now_!" Lance commanded, throwing out a hand as Dragonite flew up into the air and caught Gyarados's attention, drawing all fire to him.

"No! I can still do this!" I answered back, pressing my eyes tightly shut as my heart began to hammer faster and faster until it was fluttering as fast as the wings of a Butterfree.

"Get out of the way!"

"Charizard, Dragonair, circle around Gyarados's head!" I ordered and instantly my two Pokémon did as I said, flying around Gyarados and he stopped firing Hyper Beams and Hydro Pumps, unsure of which target to hit as Dragonite also joined the circle, catching on to the plan.

"Ruby, the only way to help this Gyarados is by battling it. Only then will it stop attacking. Now get out of the way before I force you!" Lance told me, voice thick with anger but then my own desperation broke free and burst through my body as I yelled.

"I said _NO_!" What felt like a powerful surge of energy rushed through me and into Gyarados, sharing the load of pain as I brought it onto myself also, making me cry out and fall to my knees, trembling and sweating until I slowly crossed my legs and touched my knuckles together, suddenly becoming calm as I meditated.

It was the most incredible thing I had ever experienced. I was completely linked to this Pokémon and I felt all of its memories flash through my mind as mine were passed into his, sharing a lifetime with one another in a single moment as every emotion rose up within but with my control, I pushed it aside and Gyarados finally became perfectly calm, listening to my voice as I began to hum a soft lullaby.

The sphere that surrounded me grew larger as the pain increased but I held that back also, taking deep breaths as I lulled Gyarados to sleep and as he drifted away, he lowered his head and the sphere decreased in size as the less work I had to do to contain the pain he felt until finally, he was sound asleep.

I have no idea where that power came from, and to be honest, it frightened me. It was unlike anything I had ever felt before, almost dangerous and I now saw why Professor Oak had told me not to tamper with it. Maybe I should have listened. This time had been different to how I had bonded with Charizard. With him it had been a one way link, but this had been a full flooded bond where we had become practically one being. Had all of that happened just because of aura? I think I need to do some reading on this and actually take it seriously. This isn't just some toy, this is an extreme and dangerous power which could hurt someone if I'm not careful.

Slowly I opened my eyes, feeling lethargic and slow as I slid down off of Gyarados's sleeping head then instantly collapsed with a soft groan but Dragonair was at my side in a moment, sliding her neck under me to keep me supported as Brock and the others ran over. "Ruby! Ruby are you okay?" Sluggishly I lifted a finger to my lips and hushed them.

"Ssh…Gyarados…is sleeping." I told them with a slight slur of my words. Lance looked at Gyarados then nodded his head, lifting up a Pokéball then touched its head.

"Don't worry my friend, you'll be alright soon enough." He vowed, holding the Pokéball as it clicked to reveal the Pokémon had been caught before placing it on his belt. Then he turned to me, my arms slung around Misty and Ash's necks as Brock tried to check for fever or any other signs of illness. "That was the most impressive thing I've ever seen." Lance said to me and I blinked in surprise as he closed his eyes and looked down. "You were so adamant to help a Pokémon in need without causing it harm that your determination unlocked a new level of your powers. I suggest you talk to Professor Oak about this. It is my understanding that he already knows of your gifts and will help to shed a little light."

Lance walked forwards and knelt down in front of me as I struggled to stay awake, blinking furiously as Dragonair and Charizard stood protectively behind me. "You've got great strength in you, Ruby Bates, so I expect to see even greater things in the future. From all of you, in fact. I've never seen a stronger friendship between people and Pokémon." He announced as he stepped back. "I must go, I suggest you get your friend somewhere she can rest and recover for a few days. Good luck to you all."

Lance addressed the rest of the group with the last part, because by that time, I was fast asleep and practically dead to the world.


	34. Chapter 34

I woke up to the smell of fresh soup and a concerned Pikachu standing at my pillow side and an equally worried Togepi and Latias on my other side, with the gang all crowded around my bed. Where was I?

"Hey there sleepyhead, that was some scare you gave us." Misty said with a smile as she held a bowl in her hands. "Look what Brock made you, it's your favourite snacking starter soup!" Alright! Just what I need.

"I made it with extra peppers, because I know you like them so much." Brock added as I began to sit up a little against the pillows Ash and Brock plumped up for me, still getting to grips with everything. Latias called up to me, wriggling closer into my arms so I hugged her gently but securely.

"What happened?" I asked as Misty offered me some soup and I took it, my arms feeling too heavy to move too much or even think about holding a spoon.

"Well, after you passed out, Brock flew here with you on Charizard to get you plenty of rest. We're at the Pokémon Centre in Mahogany Town. You remember everything before fainting, right?" She asked and I arched an eyebrow.

"By everything you mean the red Gyarados and Team Rocket? Yeah. I think I've got all the details."

"Well, you were unconscious for three days. We were getting pretty worried." Ash said to me as I gave a little smile to Togepi and Pikachu then tickled their bellies, making them both squeal happily as Misty fed me another spoonful of soup. Hmm…that tastes so good. "Brock's been nursing you nonstop, making sure you didn't take ill. He even fed you by hand."

"Really? Thanks Brock. That really means a lot to me." I said to him and he smiled.

"Don't mention it. You nursed me once before, remember? I was merely returning the favour." He assured me.

"Well anyway, though I'm sure Ash was overcome with worry, he went and challenged Pryce to a gym battle." Misty continued. "You see, Pryce had a reputation for being cold and heartless, just like his ice type Pokémon, but then when Ash went out to find him with some help, they both fell down a cavern and landed in an ice cave."

"Yeah, turns out, Pryce's old Piloswine had left him when they were both healing after getting burned in a battle and he thought it had abandoned him. However when we got down to the cave, we found Piloswine frozen in ice, and it had some herbs in its mouth which help burns to heal! After we'd melted the ice, Pryce got his Piloswine back and I battled it." Ash said proudly but then rubbed his head. "Though Pryce forfeited the match, so technically I didn't win…"

"Pryce saw the strength of your Pokémon and what a great battler you were. He knew that if he continued the battle then both Pokémon would end up seriously hurt, so he decided it best to let you win the match." Brock told him. "You earned the win either way because of your determination to not give up so easily."

"Brock's right." I said to Ash with a gentle smile as I stroked Latias's soft body as she purred gently. "Winning isn't always about how a match ends, it's about how you perform and battle with your Pokémon. If you all worked hard and gave it all that you've got, then that's a win in our eyes. Don't sweat over it Ash." I gave a little chuckle. "I can't wait for my turn. I'll show Pryce how fire really burns!" I tried to sit up but Misty held me back.

"Oh no you don't. You're not getting up until we're all agreed you're completely better and you're in no shape to even give a half decent battle. Pryce will wipe the floor with you, fire or no fire. You'd better rest." Misty finished so I sighed and nodded my head.

"Okay." Latias instantly snugged closer and I smiled as Pikachu also curled up next to me, keeping a careful eye on my condition as Togepi tucked herself up into my arms as well for an afternoon nap.

"Aw that's cute. Quick! Get me her camera, this is just adorable!" I didn't even bother trying to argue that I looked a mess, I was already drifting back into sleep.

* * *

"Dewgong, Ice Beam!"

"Dragonair, use Thunderbolt!" I parried, watching as Dewgong leaped out of the water. Dragonair straightened out her neck, summoning the energy she needed before shooting a strong bolt of electricity out at Dewgong which collided with the Ice Beam attack, causing a massive explosion in the middle of the battlefield.

The force knocked both Pokémon back and they skidded across the ice before falling still, too exhausted to both continue. "Both Dewgong and Dragonair are unable to battle, this match is a draw." Giving a deep sigh to try and remain calm I returned Dragonair to her Pokéball.

"You battled so well, thank you Dragonair. I'm sorry I didn't know ice types were effective against dragon types like you. It's my fault." I told her before putting the Pokéball away.

"A great match, are you ready for the next round?" Pryce asked and I nodded my head with a smile.

"You bet!"

"Alright then, Piloswine! I choose you!" I knew he would choose Piloswine. In that case, there's only one option left for me.

"Charizard, it's show time!" I called and Charizard came with a roar, stamping both feet onto the icy field and dug in his claws to keep his balance, glaring menacingly at Piloswine.

"A Charizard, excellent choice, though it doesn't mean you're going to win simply having type advantage this time." Pryce warned me and I gave a little shrug with a smirk.

"We'll see about that." Behind me I could hear Pikachu and the others all cheering for me, encouraging me on so I took a deep breath and looked up at Charizard who turned his head to catch my eye. "We can do this Charizard, we'll show Pryce what a great team we make." With a nod of his head Charizard turned back to face Piloswine.

"Begin the match!" Sheila, our referee, called and waved her flags so Pryce kicked things off.

"Okay Piloswine, use Take Down!"

"Fly up Charizard, then use Flamethrower!" Charizard instantly flew up into the air with a flap of his great wings, lifting off the ground so that Piloswine's attack missed. The field was already completely frozen in ice, me having frozen up the water earlier to keep Dewgong from avoiding attacks so it now meant a perfect playing ground for Piloswine.

"Piloswine, use Blizzard to knock that Charizard out of the sky!" Instantly the entire battlefield was consumed by an ice storm, making Charizard roar as he was blasted with the cold.

"Charizard no!" I called, seeing him land heavily on the ground and when the blizzard disappeared, I saw one of Charizard's wings had been frozen around the tips, meaning he could no longer fly. "Charizard are you okay?" I called and he nodded his head with a sharp grunt, assuring me he was fine.

"You see, ice types also have great affect against flying type Pokémon, which is partly what your Charizard is as well. You can't just rely on the one part of your Pokémon to succeed in battle, you have to consider all areas of your Pokémon's strengths and weaknesses in order to succeed." I bit my lip, trying to think about this. He was right, if Pryce lands too many ice type attacks, Charizard will still take a lot of damage.

"In that case, we'll finish this quickly." I declared loud and proud then pointed at Piloswine. "Charizard, hit it with Fire Blast!" Charizard roared then blew out the fire symbol before pushing it at Piloswine.

"Take Down!" Piloswine charged forwards and I stared in horror as it slammed into the fire head on, stopping it in its tracks for a brief few moments before it ploughed on through then slammed into Charizard. "Now use Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!" Charizard blasted the Ice Beam with his fiery breath and saved himself from the hit but then Pryce was already moving forwards with another attack.

"Fury Attack!" Charizard was battered by the strong tusks of Piloswine and knocked backwards again, taking serious damage as he struck an ice pillar then fell onto his front.

"Charizard! Charizard you need to get up!" I told him, seeing Piloswine charge forwards with a Take Down attack. "Get up now! Charizard!" Charizard suddenly pushed himself up onto his feet and grabbed Piloswine, digging in his feet to keep Piloswine from chagrining into him and completely held off the Take Down. "Alright! That's the way to do it! Now toss Piloswine away before hitting with a full throttled Flamethrower!"

Charizard swung Piloswine around, gliding easily over the ice before letting go and Piloswine struck a pillar of ice with a trumpeting sound of shock as Pryce gasped and cried out. "Piloswine!" Charizard swung his weight around then blasted Piloswine with a powerful Flamethrower, hitting straight on and I punched the air with a smile.

"Yeah! Way to go Charizard!"

"Piloswine, use Rest!" Pryce called and instantly my smile dropped. No! He can't use Rest, because that means Piloswine will restore a lot of its energy!

"Hurry Charizard, use Flamethrower one more time." I pointed with both hands outwards then clenched my fists in determination, willing Charizard to continue battling despite being out of breath and beginning to feel the damage done by Piloswine's tough attacks.

Charizard blasted at Piloswine with another Flamethrower after he'd summoned the energy to do so but then Piloswine suddenly leaped out the way, avoiding the hit altogether then charged at Pryce who smirked. "Take Down, let's go Piloswine!"

"Dodge it Charizard!" Charizard tried to move out the way but his foot slipped on the ice and he couldn't move fast enough so I though quickly. "Use your wing as a shield and use your shoulder to hold off the attack!" Instantly Charizard moved his ice covered wing to shield himself and as Piloswine ploughed into him, used his shoulder and arm to hold off Piloswine and lessened the damage done immensely. I have to do something about that ice, but if I do then Pryce will only try freezing it again. I have to take Piloswine in one hit to win this before Charizard gets too tired to continue.

Looking back I saw Charizard fling out his wing and sent Piloswine back a few paces, skidding across the ice but still holding his ground, grunting and pawed at the ice with one heavy and furry foot as Charizard gave a dark growl in reply. "Piloswine, end this with Blizzard! Give it all you've got!" Pryce ordered and Piloswine instantly summoned another powerful blast of cold and ice. Suddenly an idea snapped to mine.

"Charizard, use Inferno as a shield and to melt the ice!" I called out and Charizard instantly began to glow with flames, the heat dancing out from his body as he wrapped himself up in a fiery cloak and the ice melted from his wing. "Now fly up!" He rose up into the air with one wing beat, rising above the blizzard as Pryce gasped. "Now Fire Blast!" With a final roar Charizard aimed his attack down at Piloswine, the air filling with sudden heat as Charizard released a flaming Fire Blast.

It powered down on Piloswine and struck in a direct hit, ploughing Piloswine through two ice pillars until finally, he lay still, groaning slightly and out of the battle. "Piloswine is now unable to battle, which means the winner is Ruby and her Charizard!"

"Yeah! Charizard! Charizard you did it! I love you so much!" I cheered, leaping up and flinging my arms around Charizard as he landed before me and began to blast me with hot air from his nostrils, smiling as he rubbed his face into me. "You were so amazing, a real hero." I told him adoringly before hugging him again.

"Well Ruby, you sure showed an old fool like me." Pryce chuckled as he walked over. "Your bond with your Pokémon is very strong, I can see that much clearer now that I've battled you. Here, as proof of your victory, I present the Glacier Badge." He said, holding out a silver badge that looked like a snowflake, which I took with pride. "Despite your Dragonair being at a disadvantage you still managed to defeat my Dewgong because you knew how to work with your Pokémon's strengths, and again with your Charizard, you kept him going even when it had taken a lot of damage. I'm proud to have battled you today."

"Thank you Pryce, the honour is all mine. I'm really glad you and Piloswine are a team again, you sure didn't make it easy for us." I said, still rubbing Charizard's head as I couldn't keep myself from smiling. "So this means Ash and I only have to win one more badge before we get to go to the Johto League, is that right?"

"That's correct, I think your friends have already decided the Blackthorn Gym to be your next stop. I wish you both all the luck in the world, though I don't think you'll need it." Pryce laughed before patting my shoulder. "You take good care of your Pokémon. They'll reward you in ways you can never imagine." He told me so I nodded my head.

"I will, I promise." I said before turning to find Ash and Pikachu racing over with excitement.

"You were great Ruby! That was some battle. You had us all worried for a moment there."

"Not a problem, Charizard can handle anything, right Charizard?" I asked and he growled in agreement before slathering his long tongue over my face, making me squeal in disgust before bursting into laughter as he came at me again, showering me in kisses and affection as everyone else merely laughed. Another badge, another victory, another step closer to the Johto league. And it's all thanks to Charizard!


	35. Chapter 35

"Ugh. I hate being lost!" I burst out in a cry, stamping my foot and waving my fists in the air. "Ash Ketchum, you better tell me you know a way out of here right now or you're toast!" I yelled, jabbing a finger in his direction as he gulped.

"It's not my fault we're lost, I just took the path on the right like the map said!" He told me so I clapped a hand to my head.

"Which probably means we should've taken the left one." I muttered under my breath.

"And I was so looking forward to catching up on my beauty sleep at the next Pokémon centre." Misty said in a miffed tone, turning her head away from Ash who remained optimistic.

"Don't worry, we'll find our way out of here and besides Misty, you don't need beauty sleep." Ash said to her so she gradually relaxed a little.

"I guess you're right." She agreed eventually so Ash beamed.

"Cool! Then let's go!" But the moment Ash turned away, I was the only one to witness Misty's little blush as she hugged Togepi a little closer to her. Hmm…interesting. Very interesting. Ha! Now the next time she tries to worm some sort of confession out of me about Gary, I can turn it right back on her! At least now it's even.

"Hello!" Two voices called out simultaneously and we stopped to see a pair of salespeople standing with some sort of thing behind them covered in a large white cloth. They wore matching suits, though one was orange and the other purple with oversized spotty bowties. Neat.

"You weary young travellers appear to be lost." The man wearing the bright orange suit said to us.

"As does your Pikachu." His female counterpart added, wearing rather…interesting glasses.

"A lost Pikachu loses electricity." The guy continued and Ash blinked, touching a finger to his mouth thoughtfully.

"It does?

"But of course. It's so obvious that your Pikachu needs recharging." The lady told him pointedly.

"And it can all happen with this! The patented Pika-Power Mach two." They pulled off the white sheet to reveal a weird looking machine which was basically an old seat with a couple of gadgets added on. What's the deal here?

"And it's so quick and easy to use. Allow me to demonstrate." The woman said as she walked over, picked up Pikachu from Ash's shoulder then put him in the chair, which instantly buckled him in tight. "We just put poor Pikachu into the chair like so." She said as she stepped back.

"We radio our request." The man said as the lady lifted a radio to her ear and began to speak.

"Give the Pikachu some rest." Turning around they both faced us, Ash and I scratching our heads in confusion. "And before you can say no…" Suddenly a huge metal clamp dropped down and grabbed the chair, the two salespeople jumping up into the green basket that came with it.

"The Pikachu is ours and off we go."

"What?!" We all yelled as Pikachu called out for help.

"What is this? What are you doing?" Ash demanded as the balloon rose up from the trees and came into view. It's Team Rocket! Wait, did we just fall for one of their tricks _again_? Wow, we seriously need to wake up with that one, one day those guys might actually outsmart us and get away with us. Creepy.

"Prepare for trouble no time to spare!"

"Make it double as we slice the air!"

"We'll cut it short right there." Meowth declared, popping up into view and Jessie and James pulled off their disguises with a triumphant laugh.

"Team Rocket." Brock glared up at them as I craned my neck to see them rise higher.

"What an unpleasant surprise." Misty added as Ash growled.

"Give back Pikachu!" He yelled up at them but Jessie merely laughed before leaning down towards us.

"Maybe you should try telling Pikachu to use one of those special Thunderbolts." She suggested. Hang on, they actually _want_ to be blasted out of the sky? Now I know they're crazy. What's going on with them?

"Okay then I will! Pikachu, Thunderbolt, go!"

"Pika." Pikachu nodded his head then his entire body lit up with electricity, however all its power was sucked into two lightning rods which absorbed all the energy from Pikachu's attack!

"Pikachu's Thunderbolt was sucked right into that thing!"

"So that's why they weren't bothered about Pikachu using an electric attack." I said to Brock who nodded his head.

"James, tell them what this machine really is." Jessie ordered simply so James went ahead and explained.

"This is an amazing machine that allows us to drain the energy out of any power source. If you call within the next ten minutes, Meowth show them what they can get." He said and Meowth jumped up holding what looked like a paw on the end of a rod.

"You'll receive the sister product of this appliance. We call it the Meowth Massage-inator Mach three!" He crowed as they all rose higher into the sky.

"Now then, what say we stop wasting volts and start sucking up all those Pikachu bolts?" Jessie suggested as Pikachu continued to try and blow his way out of that chair, filling up the bar with more and more of his own energy.

"Stop it right now!" Ash ordered but Jessie merely smirked.

"Hand over every single one of your Pokémon and we'll consider your demand, okay?" She suggested but I shook my head.

"You'll just make off with all of our Pokémon, we're not that stupid Team Rocket!" I paused. "Well, some of us aren't anyway." I gave a slight indication to Ash who shot me a look.

"Hey, I saw that!" He shot at me so I gave a little smile before he turned to face Team Rocket. "Then you leave me no choice, Thunderbolt attack with everything you've got Pikachu!" I slapped my forehead. Didn't he hear anything we just talked about? It's going to take a lot of power to get Pikachu to overload the system, maybe he should just try using another of his Pokémon? Maybe Cyndaquil?

Suddenly the bar shot up the scale until it exploded, Pikachu having given the appliance too much to handle and it caved in on itself. The belt opened up and Pikachu instantly leaped down into Ash's arms. "Pika Pi!" Ash laughed, catching Pikachu with a laugh.

"That's the way to do it." Ash said as we all smiled and crowded round.

"Good thinking!"

"Way to go!" Brock and Misty said as I reached out and rubbed Pikachu's head.

"Nice going genius." I told Ash then looked up as Team Rocket's new machine blew apart, sending them flying off into the sky until they were no longer in sight. "Oh that's a shame, I was hoping they'd let me have that backscratcher." I said sarcastically but then Pikachu suddenly flumped, ears drooping down.

"What's the matter Pikachu?" Ash asked but Misty saw instantly what was wrong.

"Must be tired." She told him.

"Is everything alright?" A soft voiced lady asked and we all looked up to see her standing a few steps away from us. "I heard an explosion and was concerned. Anyone get hurt?" She asked but then Brock suddenly leaped at he, going into one of his goofy moments.

"Hello beautiful! My name is Brock, fact is we were viciously attacked by some pretty rough characters, they stole Pikachu and it took some damage. I'd be happy to flush out the details, maybe over a nice cup of tea?" He suggested but Misty grabbed his ear and dragged him backwards a little.

"You will not flush out anything!" She yelled at him but Ash and I were distracted by Pikachu's bad shape.

"You're going to be just fine Pikachu." Ash promised as I checked his temperature.

"We need to get Pikachu to a Pokémon Centre. Is there any nearby? All those Thunderbolts have completely drained his energy." I asked but Misty gave a worried shake of her head.

"We don't know where we are, there might not be a Pokémon Centre for miles." Ash hugged Pikachu a little closer to him, looking down with care and concern.

"I know, but we have to do _something_. Brock, Ruby, don't you have anything you can give Pikachu?" I shook my head.

"Not to restore electrical power, no." Suddenly the woman spoke up.

"I'm sure that I can help out your Pikachu, but I can't unless you make me a very solemn promise." She told us and we all looked at her in surprise. "I work in a place that's very close to where we are now and we can get to it in practically no time at all but you've got to promise me that everything you see and hear will remain secret. Is that a deal?"

"Sure." We all answered with a unanimous nod of our heads, not needing a moment's consideration for the deal. If it helped Pikachu get better soon, then I'm willing to keep any kind of secret.

"Alright then, let's hurry." She said and we began to run. The woman led us up the mountain, a steep slope which became difficult to climb at a run so we slowed down the pace, however we kept moving forwards no matter what. On the way we all saw a number of electric type Pokémon, going exactly the same way we were.

When we got to the top, it turns out that all the electric type Pokémon were going to a massive lake where crystalline perfect water glistened before us. "Ta dah! We're here." I looked around and saw all the other Pokémon going into the lake and instantly looked healthier, their coats becoming shiny and crackled with electricity.

"Wow…" We all awed.

"What a gorgeous lake." Misty breathed.

"I've never seen a lake on a mountain top before." Brock agreed as he admired its perfect colour.

"Look at all those electric type Pokémon." I said, pointing to them all. "They look like they're really healthy."

"Believe it or not, all those Pokémon have been worn out or seriously injured. The waters in this lake have magical healing properties for electric type Pokémon." She told us and I blinked in awe. That's amazing! "Now, let's hurry with Pikachu."

"Okay." Ash said then gently put Pikachu into the water. I leaned closer to get a look and saw crackles of electricity run up Pikachu's body before it sparked at his cheeks, making him sigh softly with relief.

"Pika…"

"It's making Pikachu feeling better already!" Misty beamed as I reached out and touched the water curiously.

"Is Misty right? How do you feel?" Ash asked and Pikachu instantly lifted his arms up high.

"Pika Pika!" Ash laughed, his tense body instantly relaxing as he stood up.

"Well that was quick! Awesome!" I stood up too, drying my hand then looked over to the other Pokémon, seeing similar results all around.

"I don't get it. All these Pokémon have been healed just by stepping into some lake water?" Brock questioned and our new friend nodded her head.

"You got it, but this lake contains a little secret." She revealed, looking out over the lake where I could see something was glowing.

"Look!" I pointed. Once everyone had spotted the light, our friend brought out her little boat and sped us all out to the middle of the lake as Ash and Pikachu leaned over the side.

"Hey, it looks like a massive underwater flashlight." Ash said, making her laugh.

"You guys aren't going to believe your eyes when you see this." She declared then lifted the hatch at the base of her both to reveal a spy panel which looked down into the lake's bottom so we all crowded together and looked down, instantly gasping in awe and smiling. There at the bottom stood an old ruin with a large crystal shining at the top of a shrine.

"It looks like an underwater temple!" Misty gasped as I leaned a little closer.

"But something's still glowing down there!"

"That something is what's been healing all the electric Pokémon. The legendary crystal." Our researcher friend explained to us as I smiled.

"That's amazing. I wonder how it came to be here." I turned to face the expert who began to tell us everything she knew.

"Legend says that the crystal used to rest at the very top of this mountain, but torrential rains caused the temple to slide into the lake along with the crystal." She told us and I nodded my head. That's amazing, imagine, all this time that crystal has just been sitting there helping all kinds of electric type Pokémon. Awesome!

We went back to shore, leaving the crystal to rest and we all turned to admire the lake once more. "I can see why you'd want to keep this lake a secret." Ash said and Misty nodded her head in agreement.

"An unbelievable place like this needs to be protected. Forever." She said and I stooped down, filling a little vial with the water then stepped back.

"Here Pikachu, let's see if the lake water still works away from the main body." I said and Pikachu instantly leaped into my outstretched arm, making me giggle as he smiled up at me.

"Pikachu!" I poured some of the water onto his head and his ears twitched as he closed his eyes.

"Anything?" I asked and Pikachu thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Pika." He told me sadly but I merely smiled and hugged him to me as I turned back to the lake.

"That's amazing, it really is the power of that crystal which helps all these Pokémon." However suddenly the light disappeared from the lake, leaving it to appear ordinary and powerless.

"Hey! Where'd the light go?!" Ash demanded to know, each of us gasping in horror. No! The crystal can't have just stopped working! What's happened?

"The crystal's stopped glowing!"

"That's right twerps." Two voices called out and our eyes widened before we whirled around and saw a Tentacruel hauling the crystal out of the lake with odd shaped tentacles which looked more like feet.

"Prepare for trouble we'll never get caught."

"Make it double and look what we've got!" Our mouths all dropped wide open as they lifted up the crystal to show us, our heads instantly kicking into defensive mode.

"Oh no, it can't be!" Suddenly the suit disappeared and Team Rocket stood there, Jessie snatching the crystal which she then hugged possessively to her.

"Yes! To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blast off with a bolt of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to be zapped with our electrical might!" Well, I guess they get full points for originality, though I think I dozed off somewhere in the middle. Suddenly Wobbuffet appeared with a radio, where Meowth's voice came online.

"Meowth that's right!"

"Team Rocket!" We all chorused and our friend pointed at them with an angry expression.

"That crystal is no use to you!"

"Really? Well I'm sure we can think of something to do with this little gem." Jessie said to us slyly.

"Now that our ride's here, it's time to say adieu!" James crowed as they all were lifted up into the sky, Meowth's voice chanting as they went.

"To you, and you, and you and you and you!"

"Not so fast!"

"Yeah, get back here!" Ash yelled after me but then we turned to see an angry hoard of electric type Pokémon swimming after Team Rocket, obviously unimpressed with how they'd stolen their crystal.

"Those Pokémon look really upset." Misty noted and I nodded my head with a laugh.

"Great, then they can help get the crystal back, so watch out Team Rocket!"

"Let's go help Pikachu! Thunderbolt 'em!" Ash called as I ran forwards to get in at a closer range. However as Pikachu and all the other Pokémon sent out electric attacks, large lightning rods extended out of Team Rocket's balloon basket and absorbed all the power.

"No! Not again!" Think Ruby think! Before I knew what was happening, the rods were sucking away all the electrical power by force, taking away all the Pokémon's energy. No fair! They can't do that! However everything suddenly changed. With an angry screech, something shot down a bolt of unbelievably strong electricity down at Team Rocket's rods, cutting off the forced suction and saved all the Pokémon before they could get too worn out.

"Huh?" I looked up at the sky, seeing a storm cloud begin to stretch out over the lake and filled the sky with an angry black and grey pallet, bolts of lightning shooting across the sky also until a group of clouds rolled away to reveal a Pokémon flying in the sky, crackling with intense electricity and it screeched with anger, glaring down at Team Rocket with bright yellow body.

"Zapdos, the electric Pokémon. Zapdos has both electric and flying elements and the flap of its wings can create lightning." Wait a minute, isn't Zapdos a legendary Pokémon? No way! That's so cool! Zapdos flew towards the balloon and released a powerful Thunderbolt attack with its screech echoing through the air.

The attack was absorbed by the rods. Question was, how much could they take? Or even, how much could Zapdos give? It looked like it was losing energy and fast! "Zapdos!"

"It's losing power and fast!" Ash called so I called up to the Zapdos.

"You can do it Zapdos, give it all you got!" Suddenly Zapdos spread its wings and the energy intensified further, engulfing the entire balloon and Team Rocket were hit with a full blast of its anger, making them shiver with electricity, their movements becoming jerky until finally, the rods exploded and they were blasted into the sky. "The crystal!" I called then saw Zapdos beginning to fall. "Zapdos!" Not wasting a second I flung out a Pokéball. "Charizard, catch Zapdos, quick!"

Charizard appeared with his usual roar of announcement then flew upwards, catching Zapdos easily in his arms before it could crash land then lowered it to the ground as I ran for the crystal, holding out my arms then jumped to catch it, smiling as it landed in my arms safely. "I got it!"

"Way to go Ruby!" Ash cheered as everyone ran forwards. Zapdos snapped its long beak, trying to get everyone to stay back but they all tried to calm it down.

"Everyone be careful, Zapdos is very weak." I warned. "It's used up all its power in getting the crystal back, so it's energy is low. But you already knew that, didn't you?" I said to the researcher who nodded her head with sad eyes.

"I did. You see, this is the real secret I wanted to keep. If people knew that Zapdos come here to recharge, then people would never leave this lake alone." Everyone nodded their heads in understanding.

"That's okay, we won't tell anyone." Ash promised as I patted Charizard's head before moving towards the lake. "Hey Ruby, what are you doing?" He asked as I took off my jacket, shoes, hat and backpack.

"If we can get this crystal back in the lake, then we can zap Zapdos back to the way it should be." I said then selected another Pokéball. "Go Dragonair!" Dragonair appeared with a flash of light then dove into the lake with a mystical call, resurfacing again to look at me. "Can you help me get down to the bottom of the lake? We need to get this crystal back." I said to her and she nodded her head, letting me climb on. "Be back in two seconds!" I gave a wave, tucking the crystal under my arm then dove under water with Dragonair.

She swam me down to the temple where I placed the crystal back in the spot I had seen it before then moved back, waiting for it to start glowing but nothing happened. What? Why isn't it working? Shaking my head I pointed up to the surface and Dragonair nodded her head, lifting me up and together broke the surface. "I don't understand, why isn't it working?" I asked but then I noticed all the electric Pokémon diving into the water and going down to the crystal, Pikachu included.

"What's going on?" Ash asked, stepping forwards but then it clicked.

"Of course! The crystal needs recharging! The Pokémon are all going to zap it with their electricity." I said and just then, the lake at the centre began to glow again.

"Well come on! Let's hurry and get Zapdos back in the water!" Ash called and together, we all pushed Zapdos into the lake and let it drift out and under, but after a couple of seconds, the light died out again. "No! It can't have gone out again." Ash said, biting his lip as Brock shook his head.

"There just…isn't enough power." I closed my eyes, forcing out all negative thoughts so I could try think of a plan. If they need power then…then that's what we'll give them!"

"Dragonair, into the sky! Start up a thunderstorm then use Thunderbolt directly down into the lake and up into the sky!" I called and Dragonair nodded her head determinedly. She rose up into the sky and hovered over the lake, where she closed her eyes and the orb at her throat began to glow.

The air became cold and clouds rolled overhead, flashing with light and once Dragonair had finally got the lightning under control, she blasted a bolt of lightning up into the clouds and down into the lake, striking Zapdos as the Pokémon all charged up the crystal which also gave Zapdos another bolt.

Lightning struck down from the sky, powering into the lake and with a final bolt, the crystal fully recharged and glowed even brighter than before, spreading out across the entire lake and bolts began to dance upwards, shining brightly as the water rushed up suddenly, rising until with a spread of its magnificent wings, Zapdos appeared with a loud screech, making us all laugh and jump for joy as I punched the air.

"Yeah! Go Zapdos!"

"You're alright!"

"And the lake is back to glowing just like before." Misty said as we all beamed and cheered. Dragonair gracefully lowered herself back down into the water then took a deep breath, taking her time before swimming over to the bank and I ran to meet her.

"You were awesome Dragonair, I knew you could do it." I said and she nodded her head before nuzzling against my face, so I hugged her tightly.

"Thank you for helping save the lake and Zapdos. We both owe you all a great deal." I turned and gave a smile to our researcher friend.

"No problem. It was the Pokémon that really saved the day. Right Pikachu?" I asked as he leaped out of the water and onto my shoulder.

"Pikachu!" He agreed before springing into Ash's arms. I looked up at Dragonair with pride as she looked down at me with warmth and affection before splashing me with water by her tail, making me laugh before splashing her back and before we knew it, it was all out war.


	36. Chapter 36

"Okay guys, how about stopping here?" Brock suggested. "There's a small lake over there for the water Pokémon, and there's plenty of shade over here to get out of this heat."

"Sounds great Brock, let's let out all the Pokémon. Come on guys!" Ash called and instantly all his Pokémon dashed about in excitement, exploring every scent and sound as I too let out my Pokémon.

"It's play time guys!"

"Come and take a swim!" Misty cheered and all her Pokémon dived into the water. Or at least, all except Psyduck who hid behind Misty's legs. "Oh right I forgot, you can't swim." She said blankly as she looked down at him. "Oh well." I giggled as Latias rode on Pidgeot's back into the sky, watching her soar up and she waved her little paddle like hands as Pidgeot began to glide in a spiralling descent back towards me.

"You know, the Pokémon are all looking really great." Brock noted as he shone his Pineco with the help of his Golbat, who held the cloth for him as he rubbed special polishing stuff into Pineco.

"You're right Brock, they all look so happy and healthy." Ash agreed.

"Jigglypuff!" Jigglypuff beamed as she bounced over to me then jumped into her lap. "Jiggly Jigglypuff!"

"You want me to brush your hair? Is that right Jigglypuff?" I asked and she nodded her head with a satisfied look.

"Puff." I giggled then pulled out my soft bristled brush to start brushing her thick curl and her spotless pink coat, making her sigh happily as she enjoyed her star treatment.

"Poliwhirl, don't go too far out, make sure you stay where I can see you!" Misty called lightly over to Poliwhirl who splashed in the water to sit upright then gave Misty the thumb's up.

"Poliwhirl!"

"You know, with us only needing one more badge to compete in the Johto League, I think we deserve a little break." Ash said to me as he groomed Bayleef, who was laying down on the ground before him and enjoying his undivided attention as Phanphy rolled around them both, circling and circling before leaping up and flapping his little ears. "We've been working and training so hard, maybe we should spend the day here."

"Good idea Ash, and there's a town not too far away. If you like I can fly over and get some supplies to cook your favourite dinner." Instantly Ash and I beamed.

"Hamburgers!" We cheered and the Pokémon all chorused back in excitement as Brock chuckled.

"Well, I know an order when I hear one. Hey Ruby, you don't mind if I borrow Pidgeot or Charizard do you?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Not at all. You hear that guys?" I asked and both Pidgeot and Charizard landed beside me with a greeting. "Would you mind taking Brock to town to getting some supplies? It'll mean he could get back a lot faster than by just walking." I said and Charizard instantly stepped forwards with a nod of his head and a grunt. "Great! Thanks Charizard." I said and he nuzzled my hair softly before letting Brock climb onto his back.

"We won't be long, take care of my Pokémon for me whilst I'm gone!" He called as Charizard flew up into the air and I waved him off.

"We will!" Just then Vaporeon walked over to me with Latias on her back, though she was looking rather imploringly up at me and I heard her stomach rumble.

"Oh! You must be hungry, it is nearly lunch time after all." I said with a smile and reached out for her but Jigglypuff suddenly inflated her body and gave an indignant huff.

"Puff!" Instantly I pulled back, remembering she was still in my lap.

"I'm sorry Jigglypuff, I'll finish brushing you in just a minute but I've got to give Latias her bottle." I told her but she slapped at my hand then leaped out of my lap, putting her little hands on her non-existent hips.

"Jigglypuff Puff, Puff!" She then turned her head up into the air and began to march away as I massaged the wrist she had just slapped. That one stung a bit.

"Oh I'm sorry Jigglypuff, I didn't know you were busy." I said as I began to prepare Latias's feed whilst Vaporeon entertained her with her tail, wiggling it just out of reach and then used it to tickle her little belly. Jigglypuff stopped and pretended to remain uninterested, though I could tell she was listening. "But you see, I was just about to ask if you would be a super star for me and help feed Latias. It would show her just how grown up you are." I said then gave a mock sigh, shrugging my shoulders then picked up Latias.

"Puff Jigglypuff." Jigglypuff answered then marched right back over. "Jiggly?" She questioned, blinking her large, apologetic eyes up at me so I smiled then let her jump back into my lap. "Jigglypuff?" She looked up at me as I picked up Latias and held her in my arms like I were cradling a baby but then gave the bottle to Jigglypuff.

"Will you help me feed her?" I asked and Jigglypuff instantly nodded her head proudly.

"Jigglypuff." She agreed so she carefully offered the nib to Latias who instantly beamed and began to suck on the milk, making Jigglypuff gasp before she smiled brightly. "Puff!" She squealed then moved a little closer, gradually tilting the bottle as Latias drank more and more.

"Way to go Ruby, now that's how you keep the peace." Misty said to me as she sat with Psyduck in her lap. "Can I feed Latias next time? Please?" She begged and I nodded my head.

"Sure, of course you can Misty. That is if Jigglypuff will let you." I gave a little laugh as Latias finished her bottle then gave a satisfied yawn. "There you go Latias, wasn't that nice of Jigglypuff to help us out?" I cooed, shifting her in my arms then held her against my shoulder, rubbing and patting her back to make sure her stomach settled. Suddenly Latias gave a little burp then squealed happily, pointing towards my bag so I looked over but couldn't see anything.

"What is it Latias? What do you want?" I asked but Jigglypuff bounced over, dug through my bag then pulled out my flute.

"Jigglypuff!" She triumphed then quickly brought it over to me.

"Oh! You want me to play you a song?" I looked down at Latias who nodded her head then curled up in my lap.

"Poreon." Vaporeon nodded her head, the Mystic Water gleaming on her chest as she sat down beside me to listen.

"In that case, I know a perfect duet. Jigglypuff? May I have the honour of this song?" I asked and Jigglypuff gasped, her eyes glittering brightly before she leaped up and kicked her feet happily.

"Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff!" Assuming that meant yes, I smiled before beginning to play her song which she instantly joined in with. Ash and Misty gave appreciative but quiet laughs before closing their eyes and enjoying the music.

All the Pokémon crowded around to listen as well, whispering quietly among themselves before going quiet and listening as the harmony filled the air, rising up and floating away on the wind until it finished and Jigglypuff instantly beamed seeing that everyone was still awake. Well, almost everyone.

"Ah look at Latias, I guess Jigglypuff's song was just too relaxing after a nice bottle of milk." Misty said as Latias snoozed away in my lap.

"Guess so. Good job Jigglypuff." I said, rubbing her head gently. "Now, how about we finish brushing you?" I suggested and Jigglypuff instantly brightened further then bounced forwards to then sit down in front of me so I could carefully finish brushing her over.

Vaporeon enjoyed the treatment next and after that I checked Pidgeot's talons, ensuring they were in good condition then I inspected her wings and tail feathers, letting her show me by spreading them out as I didn't want to move and disturb Latias. "Good, you're all done." I said with a smile and nod of my head. "You look fabulous to me as always, Pidgeot." I told her and she chirped happily before taking a flight around the glade.

"Fabulous? Please, that old flea bag could lose at least ten pounds." A sharp, sadistic voice said from behind and instantly I whirled around and leaped to my feet, easing Latias into my arms in that moment and glared at the voice, which belonged to a girl in a pink frilled dress and wore her blonde hair in large pigtails with pink bows. Hang on a second, I know that girl! "No way, you?" She gasped as my mouth dropped open.

"I don't believe it…what are _you_ doing here?" I demanded, instantly growing angry and Latias awoke, blinking in confusion then began to wail. "Oh! I'm sorry Latias, it's okay, it's okay, I'm sorry I woke you up." I instantly soothed but shot a look to the prim princess I had met a long time ago back in Kanto.

"I'm here to compete in the Johto League, silly, with my darling Pokémon." She answered as Ash and Misty came and stood beside me.

"Ruby, do you know that girl?" I growled.

"Yeah. That's the one I found trying to abandon Vaporeon when it was still an Eevee." I revealed and Ash instantly stared.

"What?!"

"How could you?" Misty demanded, her red hot temper rising. "You don't deserve any Pokémon if you can't appreciate them!" The girl fluffed out her hair then flipped it over her shoulder.

"Please, it's not like it's any of your business how I treat my Pokémon. If they don't do a good job like that wimpy little Eevee did then why bother keeping it?" She questioned. "I'm Sophia by the way. You are?"

"I'm Ash Ketchum, I'm in the Johto league too!" Ash instantly answered, stepping forwards and throwing out a hand. "And I'm going to beat you and show you how a real trainer works with their Pokémon!" But I muscled my way in and glared at Sophia.

"No Ash, that's _my_ job. I'm going to defeat you Sophia, you wait and see. I'll show you how wrong you were about Vaproeon and my Pidgeot, then you'll be running away in tears back to your mommy just like the first time." Sophia's face grew hard as she glowered at me then looked down at my feet where Vaporeon was cowering.

"That little thing? I doubt if it could even defeat a Magikarp it looks so scared." She then took a step back and folded her arms. "And you're not going to defeat me. My daddy bought me the best Pokémon money can buy and my butler has trained them to perfection. Want to see?" She asked then didn't wait for an answer. "Come on out my darlings!"

Suddenly she was surrounded by Pokémon. A Ninetales with a coat gleaming in effortless gold, a Jolteon with spiked fur crackling with endless energy, a Scizor who looked just about ready to mash me into mush, a Nidoqueen and Alakazam, both of whom wore battle ready glares and finally, much to my horror, a Dragonair. Even Ash was impressed.

"So you see, with this team put together, there's no way you'll beat me. Not with that pathetic little water rat, or that fire lizard I remember you having. Did it finally run away from you like it should have long ago?" She asked and I grit my teeth, ready to reply but then I heard a familiar roar and the humming of wings so I smirked instead.

"No, in fact he's just got back." I answered, looking up at the sky where Charizard appeared, diving down from the clouds but the moment he saw Sophia, he snarled in rage and landed behind me, whipping out his tail to protectively curl it around me then clenched his fists, ready to battle.

"Hey guys I got the…uh…what's going on?" Brock asked as he noticed the standoff we were having.

"This is Sophia. She's the girl who abandoned Vaporeon when it was an Eevee back in Kanto." Misty told Brock with a dark glare at Sophia. Instantly her Pokémon moved forwards with a growl but then mine all jumped forwards too, even Vaporeon who glared at the Jolteon without fear. Pikachu stood at their sides, cheeks crackling with electricity as he jumped to my aid and I gave him a quick smile before turning back to Sophia.

Sophia cast her eye over my Pokémon before snorting. "So, you have a Dragonair too. And that little one in your arms looks cute. How about we do a trade? I'll give you my Alakazam for that one you're holding and my Scizor for your Dragonair." She said but I instantly shook my head.

"No way, I'd never trade with someone like you. You'd never be able to take care of my Pokémon the way they deserved to be treated." I said to her. "And Latias is only a baby, she needs me." Sophia rolled her eyes.

"I'll warn you now, I always get what I want." She told me, taking a menacing step forwards but I merely met her mark, glaring into her eyes with a burning fire.

"I'd like to see you try." I replied darkly, making her pause and think for a moment before she flipped her hair and gave a huff.

"Fine. I'll leave it for now. But you wait, I'll make you an offer next time you can't refuse." She informed me before returning all her Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "I must return to my camp now, my butler will start to worry if I am gone too long. Unfortunately I shall have to inform him that I found nothing of interest out here in these pitiful woods." She said as she turned around and walked away, flicking out a hand as she went to strike a sultry pose.

"Charizard, let's give her a proper send off." I growled darkly and Charizard instantly gave a huff, blowing a few flames down at Sophia and instantly she screeched, the hem of her dress catching fire and she ran off into the trees, abandoning all poise and decorum as yelled for her mommy. "Nice." I nodded my head in approval then began to rock Latias, gently calming her down. "It's okay Latias, I'll never let you go." I promised and Latias lifted her head.

"La?" She questioned and I smiled as she managed to form a proper sound, feeling tears rise to my eyes. Suddenly Latias lifted out of my arm and began to hover in the air, making her gasp before calling out happily. "La! La La!"

"You're flying Latias!" Misty gasped as the boys both laughed with bright smiles.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called, waving his arms as Latias circled around my head before landing back in my arms again.

"You're growing up too fast Latias, soon you'll be too big to hold like this." I said, wiping my face and my Pokémon all crowded around, nuzzling against me to try and comfort me so I smiled and relaxed into their embrace.

Well, now that I have a new rival, it seems play time is over. If we're going to stand any sort of chance against those bought Pokémon, we'll have to train really hard to even the playing field. Because as much as I hate to admit it, those Pokémon looked strong. Very strong.


	37. Chapter 37

Now that our day off had been and gone, there was no stopping Ash from getting to the Blackthorn gym as fast as possible. Which meant practically running all the way. Even I was beginning to get tired by day four, but Ash just somehow kept going. "Hurry Pikachu!"

"Pika!"

"What's the hurry Ash?!" Brock panted behind as I kept my hands gripping my backpack to keep it from jostling around too much.

"The gym isn't going anywhere you know, so you can slow down." Misty called, also out of breath but Ash merely laughed as he looked over his shoulder.

"The sooner I get to the gym the sooner I get to the Johto League!" He answered, continuing to laugh in uncontainable excitement but then Pikachu suddenly stopped, his ears pricking and we all came skidding to a halt as he blocked our path. "What's the matter Pikachu? You see something?" Ash asked so Pikachu pointed towards a bank close by the water.

"Pika." There, curled up and sleeping peacefully in the midday sunlight, was a Dratini.

"Wow!" Ash and I breathed, leaning forwards to get a closer look.

"A Dratini!"

"It's so cute!" Misty gave a little squeal as Togepi trilled happily and Ash pulled out Dexter.

"Dratini, the dragon Pokémon. Dratini sheds its skin as it grows, often doing so when hidden behind large, powerful waterfalls." Dexter informed us as we approached quietly and cautiously, not wanting to frighten it.

"It seems weird that such a rare Pokémon would be out here in the open sleeping like that." Misty noted and I nodded my head.

"Yeah that is strange. Maybe it's hurt?" I suggested as the Dratini woke up and opened its large, beautiful eyes, turning to look at us before giving a tiny little squeak of worry. I was about to reach out and comfort it when a huge shape burst out of the water, roaring in a rage and we were faced with a massive Gyarados, who instantly blasted us with a Hydro Pump, making us all yell as my heart pumped faster.

"Gyarados!" We all chorused after the spray had ended.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?" Ash demanded hotly as electricity sparked on Pikachu's cheeks.

"Pi Pika….!" Gyarados reared back and was about to blast us again when a firm voice called out and stopped it.

"Gyarados, that's enough!" Blinking we were all suddenly faced with a woman in red boots, with long light blue hair and a stern expression as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at us. "What is it you want with that Dratini?" She demanded and we all blinked again.

"Wait, is that your Dratini?" Misty asked, blinking as the woman picked it up and held it in her arms.

"Yes, this is my Dratini. Now what were you kids planning on doing with it?" She demanded again so I quickly waved my hands.

"We didn't want to steal it ma'am, if that's what you were thinking."

"Yeah, we just wanted a closer look." Ash nodded his head.

"We thought that maybe it was injured and just wanted to make sure it was alright." Brock added but the woman looked at us suspiciously still.

"It's the truth, honest! We'd never steal a Pokémon, we just wanted to help." I told her so she gave a sigh then nodded her head. Turning she put the Dratini back into the water and it swam closer to the Gyarados.

"I'm very sorry." She finally said, turning to us with a smile. "Gyarados was just protecting Dratini and we certainly didn't mean you any harm."

"Oh that's okay." Ash said with a good natured laugh.

"It's nice to meet you. My name's Claire." She introduced and Ash stepped forwards.

"Hi Claire, my name's Ash." He said as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder and introduced himself, making Ash chuckle.

"Pikachu."

"Hi there, my name's Misty." Togepi trilled in greeting and I was about to introduce myself when Brock suddenly went rigid at my side.

"My name's Brock. You can call me Brock." He said dumbly before shooting to stand right in front of Claire with a blush on his cheeks. "But to be totally honest Claire, since everyone else calls me Brock, you can just call me your boyfriend. To think, someone with the beauty of a Sunflora has the passion of the Magmar!" Brock lunged for Claire but suddenly she was distracted, turning towards the bank and Brock missed, face planting the ground instead.

"Dratini!" Brock groaned and I hid a giggle behind my hand. "Gyarados, Dratini has begun its migration, we have to follow!" And then she was off, running after her Dratini.

"But my sweet! Wait up for me!" Brock called out despairingly but then another voice, one much older, called out as well.

"You mustn't go!" We all turned to see an elderly man running after Claire whilst waving a frantic hand. "Today is much too important a day! If you leave now then I'm afraid we're going to have serious problems!" The man carried a large sack of green on his back, which tumbled from him as he tripped and fell, making us all gasp and rush to him.

"Hey mister!" Ash touched his shoulder to try and see if he would respond.

"Did you hurt yourself sir?" Misty asked tenderly as the man stirred.

"Let me put it this way." He groaned before leaping up and holding out two fingers in a v shape. "I'm still in one piece! Haha! Get it? Peace sign!" He laughed and we all just stared at him with dumbfounded expressions. His laughter was suddenly cut short as he fumbled around searching for something. "Oh no! My treasure, is it gone? Have I lost it?" I turned to the green bag and held it up.

"Uh…is this what you were looking for?" I asked and instantly he snatched it from me, opening it up to reveal a box, which he lifted the lid from to uncover a single fang, aged with time but still in good condition. "Ah there you are! You little rascal!"

"Excuse me." Misty said politely. "But what is that?"

"It's a Dragon Fang!" The old man told us and Ash gave a low whistle.

"That's pretty cool."

"This is the treasure that's been kept in the Blackthorn gym forever! Part of my job is caring for it. I work for Claire at the Blackthorn City gym!" Whoa hold up there a moment.

"Wait, so _Claire_ is the Blackthorn City gym leader?" I questioned and the guy nodded his head.

"That's right. And preserving Blackthorn City's history is just one of our many duties." He told us before yelping. "Agh! Wait! Claire! Wait for me!" He yelled then started running, taking his box and sack with him.

"Wait for us too!" Ash quickly got to his feet and raced after Claire and the old man. Brock, Misty and I all yelled for Ash to slow down and followed after them all, eventually catching up. Claire walked along the bank, following her Dratini who swam upriver and I smiled at its cute little face.

"Legend has it that long ago a fierce dragon Pokémon terrorised the residents of this area." The old man told us as we walked. "Our city's first gym leader defeated that dragon and took one of its fangs as a keepsake." That's pretty awesome. Gotta love dragon Pokémon.

"Oh wow! So that dragon fang must be…"

"The same one from that dragon Pokémon!" Brock finished for Misty as we listened to the story.

"Yup, that's what the legend says! This Dragon Fang has been handed down from generation to generation. I was running to remind Claire that today is the day we are meant to perform the purification ritual."

"That sounds important." Ash noted blankly and the guy nodded his head.

"It is by far the most important duty all gym leaders must perform. Wargh?!" When we all looked ahead, it was to see Claire running off ahead without us. "Wait!" At full pelt we raced on to catch up, losing Claire around the water bend but the moment we'd followed the curve in the river, we saw Claire talking to her Dratini. "Miss Claire! I'm so glad that we found you!"

"Claire! Stay there!" When we caught up our new friend dropped to his knees to plead with Claire who folded her arms and turned her back.

"Please Miss Claire, you have to come back with us right away! Have you forgotten that today's the day of the purification ritual? You must purify the Dragon Fang in the lake water for the sake of all dragon Pokémon. This day only comes once every three years!" He practically yelled, uptight and worried about the fate of the Dragon Fang but Claire remained calm and settled.

"Yes I know that, but I can't go and leave Dratini alone right now! At this moment, Dratini is preparing to shed its skin, which means Dratini is completely vulnerable and needs someone to provide protection." She revealed and I blinked. I understand now. With Dratini preparing to shed its skin, it becomes lethargic and weak, so it needs someone to help keep it safe.

"Look!" Misty said and we all looked at Dratini who had opened its eyes. "Dratini woke up."

"We've got to follow Dratini, Gyarados." Claire called up to her Gyarados and the two of them instantly followed after Dratini as it swam upstream.

"But wait! Miss Claire!" With that we were left standing alone, watching in slight bewilderment as they all ran on ahead.

"Maybe we should go too." Ash suggested and we all nodded our heads in unison.

"Right!" We followed Claire up the river where she now stood at a narrower part of the water where Gyarados was just too big to get through and there were numerous rocks in the way.

"Looks like you can't get much further." Claire noted then turned up to Gyarados with a smile, lifting her Pokéball. "Alright Gyarados, return." She hung her head sadly, ignoring her friend as he pleaded with her to come back so I jogged forwards and caught up with her as the old man fell off the rock he had climbed and crushed Ash on the ground.

"You know, I have some friends who could help." I told her and she blinked at me.

"Really?" I nodded my head with a smile then pulled out two Pokéballs, holding one in each hand before tossing them out over the water.

"Okay guys, time to play bodyguard! Let's help Claire protect Dratini!" I said brightly as both Vaporeon and Dragonair appeared with a flash of light, forming in the water then lifted their heads to call out.

"Vaporeon!" I giggled as Vaporeon splashed the water with her tail at me before she dove under then swam around Dratini who blinked in surprise before giving a smile at Vaporeon's playful nature.

"A Dragonair!" Claire gasped as Dragonair turned her majestic head towards us, swimming alongside Dratini who snuggled close for comfort. "I'm impressed." She complimented before giving a smile. "You know, I never caught your name."

"It's Ruby. Ruby Bates." I told her. "It's nice to meet you Claire, and your Dratini." I gave a warm smile before looking out over the water where Vaporeon was now swimming on Dratini's other side. "That's it you two, we've got to help Dratini get to a waterfall so it can shed its skin. You'll both help us out, won't you?" I asked and they called back in answer, assuring me they had everything under control.

We walked for another mile or so until Dratini needed to rest so we stopped at a creek where Claire shared her lunch with us. "Here dig in. I knew we'd be following Dratini for a while so I made plenty." She said and I instantly dove in, grabbing a sandwich with a smile.

"These are good!" I beamed, chomping it all down before I wiped my mouth and looked over to Dragonair and Vaporeon. "Sorry guys, you must be hungry too! Here you go." I said, pulling out two pots of Pokémon food and shook it out into two bowls which I set on the ground for them both. Sniffing Dragonair's special food made by Brock, Dratini woke up and looked at it intriguingly. "I'm sure Dragonair won't mind sharing a little if you'd like some Dratini, I've got plenty." I said with a smile as I leaned over the water's edge.

Dragonair shifted back and gently nudged Dratini closer to her food, letting Dratini take a sniff and a nibble before it cheered happily and began to munch down on its soft texture. I used another bowl to put in front of Dratini, topped both bowls up with food then poured some Miltank milk onto Dratini's for extra nourishment.

"Excuse me, Claire? Once Dratini has shed its skin, I was wondering if you'd face me in a gym battle." I heard Ash say so I stood up and walked over to his side.

"Yeah me too!" I said excitedly with a smile.

"A gym battle?" Claire questioned, a little surprised at our request.

"Right!" We both chorused, nodding our heads at the same time. "You see, Ash and I have been challenging gym leaders all over Johto. So far we have seven badges and we only need one more before we can enter the Johto league." I explained and Claire finally gave a smile.

"Wow I'm impressed. Then of course, I'd be happy to battle you both." She said and we both smiled.

"Thank you very much."

"Pika!" Pikachu echoed before our friend, who it turns out was called Kaburagi, nodded towards the gym badges Ash had shown Claire, all neatly aligned in his inside jacket.

"I see that you have the Glacier Badge, so you must have been to the Mahogany gym, am I correct?" He questioned and Ash nodded his head.

"Yeah." He informed so Kaburagi continued.

"There was a crazy rumour floating around a while back about a red Gyarados causing all sorts of trouble in Mahogany Town." He left the question hanging in the air so Brock proceeded to explain things.

"That story is true but everything's alright now."

"Lance one of the elite four was there, and he saved everybody. With some help from Ruby of course." Misty added with a big smile as I waved a hand and tucked in my cheek, hiding my embarrassment.

"Not really. I nearly made myself a Gyarados snack." But Claire was already moving on.

"You saw Lance?" She asked and Ash laughed.

"You bet we did! He captured the red Gyarados and helped capture some of Team Rocket."

"Lance trained here at the Blackthorn gym for quite a long time." Claire told us as Kaburagi folded his arms and gave a proud little smile as he lowered his head.

"It's the headquarters for all up and coming dragon trainers." He revealed and I laughed.

"That's why Lance is such a great trainer! He came here to study so both he and his Pokémon grew strong." Claire looked up at the sky as she thought back to the time when Lance was under her tuition.

"I trainer Lance for many months at the Blackthorn gym. Or maybe I should be saying he was training me." She laughed before looking at Ash and I. "So now I'm looking forward to battling two acquaintances of Lance's."

"We are too, thank you Claire!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed with Ash as I put away the bowls after the Pokémon finished eating.

"What have we here?" An elderly lady questioned as she and her husband approached the lake. "Look at that darling Dratini." She said softly, walking stick in hand.

"Well I'll be damned you're right! And quite a rarity too." He agreed as the lady held up her hands together in thanks.

"We are truly fortunate to see such a sight as this, oh thank you, thank you thank you!" The old lady said as we all watched them carefully. "What do you say pa, how about a picture?" She suggested, turning to her husband who answered.

"Well ma, that's not a half bad idea!" He said, whipping out a camera and peered into it. "Now say little whippersnapper!" He called as he snapped up a photo of his wife standing on the bank next to a sleeping Dratini but then she waved her hand.

"Oh no, I'm sure my smile must have looked very unnatural and shown that wrinkle I have right here." She said, pointing to a spot on her cheek where I couldn't see any kind of wrinkle at all.

"Whatever you say ma!" He answered as he took another one.

"Darn I blinked at the wrong time!" Suddenly they began to fuss with the camera, the lady never liking a single shot and her husband answering with loud voices, so I assumed they may have been hard of hearing.

"Excuse me you two lovebirds, but could you be a teensy bit quieter please?" Claire requested politely. "My Dratini is going through a very difficult time and needs to have some rest." She explained and the old lady gave a guilty smile.

"Land and motion, we're sorry." She said to us.

"We certainly didn't want to be bothering anyone!" Her husband said with an equally warm smile so Claire waved her hands slightly.

"No problem, I understand." She assured them as the lady turned to her husband.

"Now pa, we need to be as quiet as little church mice." She told him firmly.

"If we were very still would you mind if we had a closer looksee?" He asked Claire who nodded her head.

"Of course, please do." Dragonair lifted her head and opened her eyes from where she had been dozing and turned to look down at the old couple as they crouched down by the waterside, gazing at the sleeping Dratini and Vaporeon stood up from the rock she had been bathing on, keeping a careful eye out.

"Well I declare, what a little pudding." The lady said with a wistful sigh.

"Makes you want to reach out and grab it!" Her husband said as she stood up, now wearing a malicious smirk on her face.

"It sure does!" with a flourish of her hand she threw out a net and captured Dratini who started awake and began to thrash about as we all gasped.

"Alright, what's the meaning of this?!" Claire demanded as the couple faced us.

"Prepare for trouble, we're not crotchety and old." The lady revealed and I blinked. Hang on, don't I know that motto?

"And make it double because we're youthful and bold!" Her companion answered. But wait, only Jessie and James said the Team Rocket motto. Does that mean these two nice looked elderly couple were part of that stupid gang as well?

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" They chanted in their ancient sounding voices before they suddenly whipped off their disguises, making my eyes widen.

"Voila! Jessie!"

"And James." The declared, Jessie still holding Dratini in the net as Dragonair began to rage, thrashing the water and searching for a way to get Dratini back without hurting it as Vaporeon leaped forwards and stood before me, ready for my command.

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the stunning speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!" James added as the balloon appeared overhead.

"Meowth, in flight!" Meowth called from the basket, lowering it down towards the ground as he laughed.

"Team Rocket!" We all chorused but Meowth merely held up a round object.

"Hey! Smoke gets in your eyes!" He sang before dropping it on the ground. Everyone yelled and ran for cover but I merely pointed up at it as it fell.

"Vaporeon, batter up!" I called and instantly she darted forwards, leaped up into the air with a twist then smacked the ball back at Meowth, who yelled as it came soaring back and hit him straight in the face and knocked him back into the basket. It burst open and smoke poured out, filling the basket as Jessie and James screeched between coughs.

"Meowth what are you doing?! Get us out of here!" I then saw Dratini dangling in the net below the balloon, hanging there suspended as it tried to wriggle free.

"Dragonair, go get Dratini back from those crooks!" I said with a smile and Dragonair instantly burst out of the water, flying up with eyes narrowed in concentration. She opened her mouth and grabbed the net, tearing it from the basket then turned to face the balloon with an angry glower. "Vaporeon, Ice Beam go!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash said, joining my side and together, the two Pokémon unleashed their attacks as Dragonair quickly moved out the way, lowering to the ground and put Dratini down, helping untangle it from the net.

The Team Rocket balloon got a full blast of a double attack, bursting their bubble all too soon and it dropped down to the ground, sending Team Rocket into a messy heap. "I'll get you twerps for this!" Jessie growled.

"Weezing go! Sludge attack!" James yelled, pointing as he sent out his Pokéball but Claire stepped in front of us, blocking the way.

"Gyarados Hydro Pump, let's go!" She called, tossing her Pokéball into the water which was a little deeper than it had been before and Gyarados rose up with a roar, making even me shiver as Vaporeon squeaked then leaped up into my arms, watching as Gyarados blasted Weezing back at James, splattering them on the ground.

"What are you doing James? Get up!" Jessie wailed. "Go get my Dratini back!"

"I guess that's what you can expect from a gym leader." Meowth said as Wobbuffet popped out of his Pokéball and shielded his eyes with one arm.

"Wobbuffet!"

"This is no time to be impressed." Jessie growled at her Pokémon as Ash pointed to Team Rocket.

"Give 'em a Thunderbolt Pikachu!" He directed and Pikachu instantly leaped up into the air, cheeks crackling with energy.

"Pika…CHUUU!"

"Wobbuffet, Counter attack, go!" Jessie ordered and Wobbuffet glowed with a red sheen, standing out in front of Pikachu's attack and it struck him broad in the chest, sparking off in all directions, including right back at us!

"No!" I yelled and turned, trying to shield Vaporeon from the bolt heading at us but then Dragonair appeared and used Protect, placing a shield large enough to surround us, Ash, Misty and everyone else save Claire, who dived for Dratini.

"Oh no you don't!" She yelled and flung herself in the way of a bolt, taking the hit with a cry of pain. "It's alright…I'll protect you…Dratini!" She said as her body was charged full of electricity. Wow, now that took some guts. I admire her all the more for doing something as brave as that. "What is it? Dratini?"

From within the safety of our shield, I saw Dratini suddenly begin to glow. No way! Check it out! Dragonair dropped the shield and we all gasped, staring as Dratini began to change shape. "It must be shedding!" Ash said so I whacked him on the back of the head, flooring him to the ground.

"No genius, Dratini is evolving!" I corrected him. "Of course, it all makes sense! Dratini was acting exactly the same way my Dratini was when she was preparing to evolve! Right Dragonair?" I asked and Dragonair rubbed her head against mine as we looked at the newly evolved Dragonair.

"Oh my! You've evolved into a gorgeous Dragonair!" Claire gasped with a bright smile but Jessie's face plummeted.

"What?!"

"Oh yeah!" Ash cheered with laughter along with us all as he pulled out Dexter to listen to the information.

"Dragonair, the dragon Pokémon. Dragonair has the ability to manipulate the elements as it wishes." It told us and I looked to my smaller, more elegant looking Dragonair.

"We know that one already." I said, giving her another hug as I continued to hold Vaporeon in my arms. As I spoke, Claire's Dragonair rose up into the sky and the orb at its throat began to glow, making the sky grow dark with storm clouds until a bolt of lightning came crashing down and struck Team Rocket, giving them another bout of electric power.

"Behold, Dragonair's true power!" Kaburagi declared.

"All this time, Dragonair was just storing up energy so it could evolve." Claire said as Team Rocket stood back up. Jessie clenched her fists and stomped her foot, wailing unhappily to anyone who could hear.

"Why is everybody so giddy about it evolving? It was much cuter, more lovable the other way!" She complained.

"You can't stop progress Jess and besides, it's even rarer than before." James pointed out, holding his chin thoughtfully as Meowth grinned excitedly.

"The bigger they are the more dough those dragon Pokémon bring in!"

"Fine." Jessie huffed. "Let's catch it and sell it and I'll forget I ever wanted a cute pet. I knew we should have taken the twerp's Dratini when we had a chance." I tittered my tongue and shook my head.

"Not a chance. Let's go everybody!" I cheered and Claire nodded her head.

"Weezing, Sludge attack!" James called but Claire was already one step ahead.

"Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" Weezing was blasted with a powerful attack from Gyarados, knocking him back into Team Rocket and flattened them. "Dragonair, blow them away with Twister!"

"You too Dragonair, let's make it a double hit!" I called and both Dragonair rose up into the air side by side, the orbs on their tails glowing brightly before they twisted around in unison, sending a powerful hurricane like attack at Team Rocket which instantly sucked them up into the powerful wind currents and tossed them high up into the sky.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" And I hope it stays that way for a while. Turning with a laugh I put Vaporeon down then flung my arms around Dragonair as she lowered back to the ground.

"You were great Dragonair! You too Vaporeon, I'm so proud of you both." I said, letting Vaporeon jump up onto my back and she hung over my shoulder to lick my face as Dragonair covered my other cheek, making me giggle as they both got as close to me as they could get.

"Looks like Team Rocket has booked a nonstop flight on Dragon-Air! Haha!" Kaburagi chortled at his own joke and I gave a little giggle, hugging my two Pokémon close before letting them back into their Pokéballs for a long rest.

Suddenly Dragonair began to swim quickly away and Claire raced after it. "Where're you going now?"

"Wait for me!" Kaburagi yelled, running after Claire as the rest of us stared after them.

"Do you think we should follow?" Ash asked so I nodded my head.

"Might be a good idea." So we ran after them, quickly following their trail until the moon was high and we found ourselves at a hidden waterfall, with two stone arches pointing upwards at the top as if they were holding the full moon between them. I gasped in awe, staring around me as Claire breathed in admiration.

"I've never been here before."

"I think…they call this the River-Head falls." Kaburagi said, looking around as we all continued to stare in astonishment. This place was so beautiful and serene. I could quite happily take a nap here and not wake up for a long time it was so peaceful. Not even the waterfall made that much of a sound. "The water from these falls flow straight down into Blackthorn lake." He added.

"Dragonair must have brought us here on purpose." Claire said with a smile, stepping closer to the water edge.

"For what, Claire?" Ash asked so she explained further.

"This is a perfect place for the ritual!"

"And we have just enough time before midnight to do it." Kaburagi announced before withdrawing the box from his sack to hand it to Claire. I watched in complete spellbound silence as Claire began the ritual, changing into her gym leader attire beforehand.

"We ask the universe to bring peace and happiness to all dragons. Be they dragons of the sky, dragons of the earth, or dragons of the water." She said before cupping her hand in the water and sprinkled a few drops onto the fang.

Almost immediately it began to glow, radiating a perfect golden light which had my eyes widening as I stared at the beautiful scene before me, the light growing bigger and brighter in a sphere until finally it rose up into a broad beam, shaping into the head of a dragon as it spiralled up into the moon and left a trail of bright, luminous dust which sparkled in the moonlight. Now that…was amazing. Plus, it's got me super psyched for tomorrow's battle, it's going to be the most awesome battle ever!


	38. Chapter 38

The next morning, it wasn't just me who was super psyched. Ash could hardly sit still. He even skipped breakfast to make a request from Professor Oak to send over his Snorlax for his battle. "Snorlax eh? Well I can certainly do that. I'll send it right over." Professor Oak said to Ash with a nod of his head. "You just need to wait a moment and I'll go get the Pokéball."

"Thanks professor." Ash said with a nod of his head before looking at me. "Hey Ruby, thanks for the advice."

"No problem. I've heard that Dragon Pokémon are very strong, so it stands to reason that you'll need a Pokémon with great stamina to match them. Snorlax is the perfect choice." I said to Ash with a shrug just as the professor came back.

"Sending Snorlax now." He said and a moment later, the Pokéball appeared. "All done. Good luck with your battles today kids, I know you'll both do great. Say Ruby, I notice you're not carrying your egg. Did it hatch?" Professor Oak and I cleared my throat.

"Uh yeah. Yeah it hatched."

"Really? Well what Pokémon was it? I'm intrigued to know." He asked so I glanced around quickly, making sure no one was around before lowering my voice slightly.

"It was a Latias." Professor Oak fell out his chair. I blinked in surprise, watching the screen but he didn't resurface again. "Uh…professor?"

"Professor Oak? Are you okay?" Suddenly Professor Oak appeared, slamming his hands down on the table to stare at us with wide eyes.

"You mean to tell me you were carrying around with you a legendary _Latias_ egg all this time? Incredible! I have to see it, will you send it to me to have a look at? I would love to make some notes on it."

"I'm sorry professor, but at the moment Latias is still only a baby and she shouldn't be too far away from me." I said to him. "I want to make sure she's strong enough to take care of herself before I think about letting her out of my sight." With a sigh the professor hung his head.

"I understand. Of course, you should keep Latias very close to you it being so young. Just keep me updated on anything you find out about it that seems strange, unusual or simply fascinating, alright?"

"You got it professor!" I cheered with a smile but then paused. "Uh professor, do you know what type a Latias is?" I asked and he chuckled.

"It's a psychic Pokémon of course, with dragon elements also. Now take care both of you. I'll do a little research into the Latias and send you any information I might find."

"Got it. See you soon!" We both waved before signing off the call. "Well Ash, you ready?"

"Oh yeah. Let's go get us an eighth badge!" When we got to the gym, however, a surprise hit us on the way in. Or rather, it hit Ash. There was a roar from above and we all turned to see a shadow streaking out from the sun, getting larger and larger until with a flap of wings, Ash's Charizard crashed into him with a tight hug and a happy roar. "Charizard! I don't believe it! It's great to see you buddy!" Ash laughed as Charizard began to lick Ash's face but then it drew back and blasted him with a Flamethrower greeting.

"Yup. That's Ash's Charizard alright." Brock nodded his head as I fell over laughing. Classic!

"I guess that Flamethrower greeting never gets old." Misty agreed before frowning. "But wait, what's Charizard doing here?"

"Miss Claire, are you anywhere near as confused as I am?" Kaburigu questioned before everyone heard another roar. We turned to see another Charizard flying with a passenger balloon with it, wearing a pink ribbon on one of its horns.

"Hey, isn't that…?" Suddenly a figure could be seen riding on the female Charizard's back, waving to us all.

"Hi guys!"

"Liza!" Both Ash and Claire called out, making them blink and look at one another.

"You know her too?" She asked as the Charizard landed on the ground and her rider jumped down too.

"Long time no see." Liza said as she walked over to Claire and gave her a high five.

"You look great Liza." Claire complimented as Kaburigu stepped to Claire's side, giving our old pal Liza a warm smile.

"It's wonderful to see you again Liza."

"Same here, the feeling's mutual. I didn't realise I'd be seeing Ash down here, no wonder Charizard was so eager to land." Liza said with a smile as Ash beamed.

"It's nice to…"

"Hi there, it's been a long time." Brock said, cutting in front of Ash to catch Liza's attention. "Since we last parted I've been filled with sadness and longing and you know just…" Before Brock could make a bigger fool out of himself his mouth was covered by Misty's hand and she gave an embarrassed smile.

"But mostly he's been filled with baloney, sorry!" She said before dragging Brock away despite his desperate attempts to return. That Brock, always the same. Can never act normal around a pretty lady.

"So are you saying that this Charizard actually used to be Ash's Pokémon?" Claire questioned and Liza nodded her head.

"But Charizard and I have been training for a while now."

"Claire I don't get it. How did you get to know my Charizard?" Ash asked so Claire turned around to explain.

"Liza and I have known each other since we were little girls, and she brings the Charizard here from Charicific Valley every once in a while so that they can train."

"It's always so great when we get together, and Charizard really loves the training." Liza added before Claire gave a knowing and amused look back at Charizard as he struck a pose, lifting his chin high and placing his knuckles on his hips as Charla cozied up to him.

"Though Charizard seems to be most interested in being Charla's bodyguard." She revealed so I giggled a little. That's so cute!

"Bodyguard?" Ash questioned dumbly.

"Wow. Look at those two lovebirds." Misty mused as I snapped a photo of them together, saving it for the album. Ash'll want to remember this.

"Can it be I'm the only one who hasn't found love?" He questioned despairingly but then, one of my Pokéballs burst open and Charizard appeared with a growl. Instantly Ash's Charizard stepped in front of Charla, shielding her from harm as the two boys knocked heads together, glaring and growling though my Charizard was quite a bit taller than Ash's.

"Nice to see some things never change." I said with a laugh as I walked over to my Charizard and began to push on his belly with all my might. "Alright. Back it up tough guy, no fighting here please."

"Wow Ruby, your Charizard looks amazing! You were right when you said you didn't need help training it." Liza complimented. "I couldn't have done a better job myself."

"Thanks." I grunted, pushing my back against Charizard to try and force him away from Ash's but the two were locked in a deadly staring contest, so there was no stopping them. "We're just…working on a few…pride issues." I huffed, giving it one last shot before collapsing to the ground. "Emphasis on the try." Everyone laughed and chuckled before Liza turned to Ash.

"So are you two here to challenge Claire? Have either of you battled yet?" She asked eagerly.

"Not yet, we were just on our way to a match right now." Claire said. "Looks like your Charizard arrived just in time. It would be a great addition to your team if you use it in the battle." She suggested to Ash hintingly who instantly brightened.

"Alright! What do you say Charizard? Wanna help me win another gym badge?" His Charizard grunted but didn't draw away from the stare down so I sighed and placed a hand on my hip.

"Boys will be boys." I shrugged as I returned my Charizard to his Pokéball. "Now behave mister, or I won't be baking you any of your favourite cookies tonight." I told him sternly before clicking the ball back onto my belt. "So, who goes first?" I asked, turning to Ash but Brock brought out a coin.

"Let's flip for it, call your shots!" He said as he flipped the coin into the air.

"Heads!" Ash called out and the coin landed on the ground, showing tails. "Oh man! That means I have to wait!"

"Yeah! Let's go Claire, I'm going to give you a battle you'll never forget." I vowed proudly and she nodded her head.

"I sure hope so Ruby, because I'll do the same." We faced each other off once inside the gym, everyone standing back out of the way to watch the battle. My heart pumped fast in my chest so I took deep, calming breaths to keep it under control. It's okay Ruby, you have a strategy and it _will_ work. You'll see.

"The Blackthorn gym match between Ruby from Pallet Town and gym leader Claire will now begin!" Kaburigu called. "Each trainer will use three Pokémon, the battle is over when all of either trainer's Pokémon is unable to battle and only the challenger can substitute their Pokémon. Are both trainers ready?"

"I'm ready." I nodded my head and Claire did the same.

"Ready."

"Then let's begin!" With a wave of his flags I drew out my first Pokémon.

"Jigglypuff, it's show time!" I called and Jigglypuff appeared with a twirl, striking a pose before landing gracefully on the ground.

"Kingdra I choose you, go!" Claire called and a large blue Pokémon appeared, with a curled tail and a long snout. Kingdra? I pulled out Dexter and listened to what it had to say.

"Kingdra, the dragon Pokémon. Normally at rest on the ocean floor, but in theories of high activity, even a yawn has enough power to create whirlpools." Neat.

"Jigglypuff." I looked up to see Jigglypuff giving me a confident look so I nodded my head also.

"Alright Jigglypuff, let's do this." I nodded my head then tilted back my hat and twisted my necktie around, signalling I was focused and ready. "Use Ice Beam!" Jigglypuff bounced up and used Ice Beam at Kingdra, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Agility!" Claire called out simply and Kingdra disappeared, avoiding the hit of Ice Beam. Good, now that it's moving, it won't be able to avoid this next move.

"You know what to do Jigglypuff, Sing your little heart out to all your adoring fans!" I cheered and instantly Jigglypuff began to sing even as Kingdra came shooting towards her. Kingdra began to slow down in the water, eyes drooping before falling sideways, fast asleep. "Now use Ice beam!"

Jigglypuff stopped with a satisfied smirk then blasted Kingdra with an Ice Beam attack, which I knew had great effect against dragon type Pokémon. "Wake up Kingdra, wake up!" Claire called but Kingdra remained sound asleep, snoring slightly.

"Jigglypuff, hit Kingdra with another Ice Beam!" I called, punching out a fist and Jigglypuff jumped up into the air, inflated her body then hit Kingdra directly with another Ice Beam attack which took its toll on Kindgra's help.

Suddenly Kingdra was awake and Claire smirked. "Kingdra, use Swift let's go!" Instantly stars shot out of Kingdra's mouth and hit Jigglypuff directly, knocking her back in the air as her inflated body remained afloat.

"Deflate now and then use Double Slap." I countered and Jigglypuff instantly pushed out all her breath, dropping down to the ground then glared at Kingdra.

"Jiggly…puff!" With that she bounded forwards and began to slap Kingra mercilessly back and forth, making even Claire blink in surprise.

"My, your Jigglypuff certainly has spirit. I'll give you that Ruby." She told me before shaking her head. "Hydro Pump!"

"Quick Jigglypuff, under the water!" I swiftly ordered and Jigglypuff dove in and kicked her legs to remain under as the Hydro Pump missed completely. "Now Sing!" Once again Jigglypuff began to sing, echoing prettily under the water and rose up around Kingdra, making it grow sleepy.

"Try and stay focused Kingdra, don't let it's voice affect you!" But Kingdra fell fast asleep once again.

"There's no escaping Jigglypuff's voice. Jigglypuff, Ice Beam now!"

"Jigglypuff!" She cried as she leaped out the water then hit Kingdra with one last Ice Beam which knocked it completely out of the match, not even snoring as it remained unconscious from Jigglypuff's persistent battling.

"Kingdra is unable to battle. Jigglypuff wins the match." Kaburigu ruled and I punched the air victoriously.

"Way to go Jigglypuff! That's my little star, great job!" I praised and she turned back to me with a soft blink of her eyes.

"Jiggly?" I smiled proudly, closing my eyes and I listened as she cheered happily. "Jiggly! Jiggly! Jiggly!"

"The battle's not over yet. Gyarados, I choose you!" I thought I'd be seeing Gyarados. It roared down at Jigglypuff who only inflated herself and glared at Gyarados before jumping up and began to Double Slap it as hard as she could.

"Jigglypuff! You don't just Double Slap someone because they're trying to intimidate you!" I called over to her with a shake of my head. "Man."

"Hyper Beam, go!" Claire called so I acted fast.

"Jigglypuff, roll out the way, hurry!" Jigglypuff curled up into a ball then began to roll, using her round body to manoeuvre out of the way and avoiding being hit as I called out. "Go left!" She rolled to the left and the Hyper Beam attack avoided all contact. "Alright, now that Gyarados can't move, use Sing!"

Jigglypuff popped out of her ball shape and began to sing again, using her enchanting voice to send that big bad Gyarados right to sleep. "Great work, now Ice Beam!"

"Gyarados, snap out of it! You need to wake up right now!" Claire ordered and suddenly, Gyarados was wide awake, however it was too late to get out of Jigglypuff's way and it received an Ice Beam attack full in the face, doing major damage. "Use Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge it Jigglypuff!" I called but the attack hit before Jigglypuff could roll out the way.

"Jiggly!" She squealed as she was tossed backwards, almost dropping her microphone as she hit the ground then bounced, hitting the wall and then the ground but then just kept on bouncing. An idea sprang to mind.

"Alright Jigglypuff, inflate your body and use that momentum to keep bouncing, then use Ice Beam!" Jigglypuff inflated her body then began to purposefully bounce of the ceiling and ground, keeping herself moving before landing another direct hit on Gyarados who roared, taking the hit but bowed its head against it to try and minimise the damage.

"Use Hyper Beam Gyarados!" Claire called, pointing at Jigglypuff who now finally landed on the ground. Gyarados charged up the attack then fired it at Jigglypuff who stood her ground, waiting for me to give an order.

"Inflate and jump back!" I countered and Jigglypuff sprang out of the way of the attack at the last moment, avoiding the hit. "Now, use Sing!" She began to sing her lullaby and Gyarados's eyes grew heavy as it sank in the water, struggling to stay awake but this time, Claire was ready.

"Hydro Pump!" Gyarados shook its head, snapping itself awake then launched a Hydro Pump attack so fast it hit Jigglypuff full on and she flew through the air, crying out in alarm before landing with a slight bounce but then went still.

"Jigglypuff…"

"No! Jigglypuff! Are you alright?" I asked but Kaburigu labelled Jigglypuff unable to battle, and I didn't disagree. "Don't worry Jigglypuff, you did your best, and your best was great. Take a long rest now." I said as I returned her then looked at Gyarados, who still looked a little sleepy. "Okay, Vaporeon, now it's your turn!" I decided, sending her out next and she leaped forwards, her Mystic Water shining brightly.

"Vaporeon!" She called then lowered her stance, ready to attack.

"Vaporeon, Water Gun!" I called and she instantly blasted Gyarados right in the face, making it close its eyes.

"Hyper Beam." Claire called but I was already one step ahead of her.

"Now into the pool, fast!" Vaporeon didn't waste a second, holding off Gyarados until the last moment, diving into the pool then began to swim. Gyarados held off his Hyper Beam attack, looking around in confusion as it tried to locate Vaporeon. "Alright Vaporeon, climb on and use Ice Beam!" Claire gasped as Vaporeon leaped out of the water with a powerful slap of her tail and jumped onto Gyarados's back, racing up then used Ice Beam as she ran, freezing over its back which made it difficult for it to bend its head.

Vaporeon gave a proud call then leaped off its head, diving back into the water with a splash. "Alright! Way to go Vaporeon!" I cheered as Claire smirked.

"Quite impressive Ruby. I like your strategy. Although Jigglypuff's song didn't put Gyarados to sleep, it did make it drowsy and slow so you took advantage of that."

"Thanks." I said with a smile. "You're putting up a good fight, I might run out of ideas soon if I'm not careful." I replied and Claire gave a warm smile before focusing once more.

"Gyarados, use Dragon Rage!" She ordered so I quickly shouted out to Vaporeon.

"Out of the water, hurry!" She leaped out with a powerful slap of her tail but the Twister chased after her, making her cry out before she was sucked inside and began to take a lot of damage. Stuck in the spiralling Twister, I struggling to think of a way out of it.

"Stay calm Ruby, just think it through!" Brock called out to me.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Ash cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled.

"You can do it Ruby!" I saw Claire give a small smile and nod of approval towards my friends before she looked back at the battle.

"Gyarados. Hyper Beam!" With a roar Gyarados began to store the energy it needed for the attack and with a snap decision, I made up my mind.

"Vaporeon, aim your Water Gun at the ground with all your power!" I called and instantly she turned her head down just as the Hyper Beam struck. She was lifted off the ground by the jet propulsion of her Water Gun, however the blast knocked her off course as the Twister dispersed and she hit the ground hard with a wail before going limp. "Vaporeon!"

"Vaporeon is unable to battle, the match goes to Gyarados!" Looking up with clenched teeth I took a deep breath and kept myself calm.

"I'm sorry Vaporeon. I let you down." I said to her as I returned her to the Pokéball. "I promise, I won't let your valuable efforts go to waste." Looking up again I studied Gyarados. It looked exhausted, it shouldn't take much to finish it off, however I only had three Pokémon left to choose between.

Charizard was powerful, but as a fire type he'd have a huge disadvantage against Gyarados and later Dragonair, who I knew would be coming next. Pidgeot was fast and could pack a punch but flying type moves just won't be able to cut it against dragon types. However as a water type, Gyarados would be at a disadvantage to a certain move that I taught Dragonair, with a little help from Pikachu of course.

"Okay Dragonair, you're up next!" I decided finally, sending her out onto the battlefield and she called out mystically before gracefully lowering herself to the ground. "It's up to you now, let's do it for the team!" Dragonair nodded her head so I turned back to face Gyarados. "Alright, let's wrap it up with our own Twister!"

The orbs on Dragonair's tail began to glow as she rose up into the air then whipped around in a spiral, sending out a strong Twister attack which locked Gyarados inside, trapping it from going anywhere.

"Gyarados, use Hyper Beam!" Claire tried but I wasn't going to let her get out of it that easy.

"Now Dragonair, Thunderbolt!" Her entire body crackled with electricity as she flew forwards for a closer range, eyes fixed and locked on Gyarados before sending out her strongest Thunderbolt yet. Gyarados roared, its Hyper Beam cancelling out as it was struck and filled with electrical power, making it rear back as the Twister teetered out until finally, it collapsed to the ground.

"Gyarados is unable to battle, the match goes to Dragonair!" I cheered, leaping up and punching the air happily.

"That's how you do it! Way to go Dragonair!" She cheered with me, landing on the ground again. Claire returned Gyarados then gave a nod of her head, saying something to the Pokéball before calling out her next Pokémon.

"Go! Dragonair!" The two faced one another down, psyched up for an awesome battle and I couldn't help but smirk, thinking through a couple of strategies that might help us win this thing. "You've put up a tough fight, I'll give you that." Claire said to me. "But now it's over! Dragonair, use Dragon Rage!" Uh oh, I'm in trouble!

"Protect!" I decided quickly, thinking it better to avoid the attack altogether and the only way to escape was with a barrier. Dragonair instantly shielded herself from the move so it washed around her and the winds blew themselves out, leaving Dragonair unaffected.

"Hyper Beam!"

"Dodge it!" I called and Dragonair rose up into the air and quickly flew out of the way with speed. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"You dodge as well Dragonair, then use your own Iron Tail!" Claire's Dragonair smartly dodged out of the way of my Dragonair's Thunderbolts, gliding through the air then got in closer for an unavoidable attack which struck Dragonair directly, causing her to cry out then fall to the ground and tremble from the shock of the blow.

"It's okay Dragonair, you can do it!" I encouraged her. "I know you're strong enough to beat them, so let's show them how!" Dragonair called out with a nod then rose up again, shaking off the hit and faced her opponent once more. "Now, use Thunderbolt again!"

"Hyper Beam." Claire answered and the two attacks connected in the middle, creating a blast which flung both dragons back but they regained their balance and remained in the air. I remained silent, allowing both Pokémon a little breather and time for the smoke to clear from the battlefield so we can see clearly. However once Claire's Dragonair moved, signalling it had recharged, Claire gave a smirk. "Now Dragonair, use Dragon Rage!"

"Protect." I countered, rapidly thinking for ideas. The same effect happened as before, Dragonair shielding herself in a bubble which burst the moment the move had teetered out.

"Twister!"

"Counter with your own Twister!" I answered without even realising it. I watched as both Dragonair launched their own Twisters, filling the battlefield with a harsh wind which made it hard for me to remain grounded and I had to shield my eyes from the fierce bite of the wind. "Push them back!"

"Use all your strength Dragonair, you can do it!" Claire replied, her cloak whipping out behind her as both Dragonair pushed against one another, guiding their Twisters. I watched with baited breath, my heard pounding in my ears as the Dragonair struggled against each other, all orbs glowing until finally, the Twisters merged into one.

"Now!" I called and Dragonair gave one final push, forcing her control over the Twister and sent it back at Dragonair, consuming it completely and I watched as it sustained all the damage from two attacks. "Now Ice Beam!"

"Oh! Dragonair no!" Claire gasped as my Dragonair struck with her Ice Beam, letting it carry into the Twister until it had formed a complete ice cylinder, twisting beautifully and sparkling in the light, making me blink at its serene beauty as everyone else awed quietly to themselves.

My Dragonair landed elegantly on the ground, looking curiously at her handiwork, seeing the other Dragonair completely trapped in ice, yet also eyes closed and looking exhausted. "Dragonair, could you possibly melt the ice for us please?" I asked and Dragonair nodded her head softly then closed her eyes. The orb glowed at her throat and the ice melted away as she took control of its element, freeing Dragonair who slowly slid to the ground.

"Dragonair! Oh my poor Dragonair, are you okay?" Claire asked as she ran over to her Dragonair.

"The gym leader's Dragonair is unable to battle, the winner is the challenger's Dragonair. The victor is Ruby from Pallet Town!" Kaburigu declared and I instantly leaped up into the air.

"Woohoo! You did it Dragonair! That's eight badges! We won! We won!" I celebrated, tears dancing in my eyes as I flung my arms around Dragonair and hugged her tightly, crying quietly into her soft scales as she curled her body around me and sang in her mysterious yet beautiful voice in celebration.

"I'll hand it to you Ruby, you know exactly how to handle your Pokémon and how to use their strengths in a situation. For defeating me, you've definitely earned the Rising Badge. You are now officially eligible to enter the Johto Silver Conference in three months' time." She told me with a warm smile. "Congratulations."

"Yeah! You did it Ruby!" Brock cheered with the others as I accepted the badge from her, one that was the face of a black dragon with narrow slits for eyes.

"Way to go! That was an awesome battle!"

"You were amazing Ruby, and your Pokémon too of course. You looked great out there Dragonair." Misty said with a smile as Togepi trilled in her arms.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered as he leaped up onto my shoulder, making me laugh as he rubbed his head into mine and I cupped his cheek, giving it a gentle rub and his eyes closed as he beamed from ear to ear. "Chuuuu!"

"Now that you've got your eighth badge, it's my turn to battle!" Ash said, already pumped and set to go but Claire held up her hands.

"Hold it there Ash, my Pokémon are pretty tired and will need a long rest before they're up for another battle. We'll have our match tomorrow once we're all better rested." She said and Ash instantly fell to the ground, collapsing and making us all stare at him in bewilderment.

"You mean I have to wait an entire _day_?" I gave a laugh.

"Look at it this way Ash, you have an entire day to think about your strategy and work with Charizard before tomorrow. That way you'll give an even cooler show than if you were to battle right now." I said and instantly he was back on his feet, face determined and ready.

"You're right! Come on guys, let's all go train!" And without he was out the door like a rocket, leaving us all laughing behind him at his enthusiasm.


	39. Chapter 39

To officially register for the Johto League, we had to make our way back to New Bark Town where we first stopped. Since Ash had also won his eighth and final badge thanks to Charizard, Snorlax and Pikachu, we were on the road again and on our way! Yes!

But first we stopped at a Pokémon Centre for a rest, the one in the town directly after Blackthorn City. It was a good thing we did too as that was where we actually got a call from Professor Elm. Nurse Joy led us over to the phone then there he was, waiting patiently with a smile. "Hi kids, it's good to see you're all looking well." He said to us as Ash sat down.

"Hi professor, it's good to see you too." He answered as we all waved.

"I heard the news, way to go you two, you should both be very proud of yourselves for earning those eight badges." He said and I gave a smile.

"It was a lot of work, but definitely worth it in the end. Right Ash?" I turned to look down at him and he nodded his head.

"Right. Thanks a lot Professor Elm."

"Professor, I'm surprised that you found us. How did you know that we were going to be here?" Misty asked him curiously.

"Well, Professor Oak told me that you were headed for New Bark Town. I thought you might stop at that Pokémon Centre along the way." He explained and Brock nodded his head appreciatively.

"Nice detective work."

"Hey professor." Ash called, making Professor Elm look back at him. "Was there anything you wanted us to do for you?" He asked and the professor gave a guilty smile and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well actually, now that you mention it…there was something." He agreed with a little laugh before shaking out his shoulders. "I hate to bother you but could you possibly stop by the marine Pokémon laboratory?" He requested and we all leaned a little closer to hear better.

"Huh? The marine Pokémon laboratory?" We all echoed together as Professor Elm nodded his head.

"I'd like you to pick up another Pokémon egg for me." He said and Ash's jaw dropped wide open.

"Another Pokémon egg?" He questioned in slight surprise but I was instantly excited. Another Pokémon egg! This is going to be awesome, I love hatching Pokémon, it's just the best thing ever!

"That's right. Would you mind doing that for me? Please?" He asked so I thrust out my arm and shoved Ash's speechless face out the way.

"You bet we will! Don't worry about a thing Professor Elm, we'll bring back that egg in great condition, we'll take good care of it!" I promised before taking a step back. "Come on guys, what are we waiting for?" I demanded then rushed out the Pokémon Centre with the others all calling my name behind me.

"Wait up Ruby!" I slowed down as we got to the cliff path, going carefully to make sure there weren't any accidents. I wonder what kind of Pokémon egg it is? It must be something special if Professor Elm asked us to pick it up for him. What I couldn't understand, however, was why the others didn't seem so excited about it as I was.

"So all we have to do is pick up the egg then return it to Professor Elm, right?" Ash asked and Pikachu nodded his head.

"Pika."

"I'm sure it's no ordinary egg." Misty mused almost to herself as I marched on ahead, picking up my knees and humming brightly to myself.

"If he went through all the trouble of tracking us down then asking us to deliver it to him by hand, that egg must be important." Brock deduced simply but then I stopped and flung out my hands dramatically.

"There it is! Look guys!" I pointed ahead to the lab on the cliff edge, overlooking the beautiful ocean and so with a laugh I ran forwards. The glass doors slid back and I walked inside, looking around the lobby before calling out. "Hello! Anybody here?"

"Hello?" Ash echoed with Pikachu's help.

"Pika Pika!"

"We're here to pick up the egg for Professor Elm!" Brock said loudly but still there was no answer. Weird, where is everybody? "Strange, it seems empty."

"Now what do we do?" Misty asked so I start walking forwards.

"Come on, let's go check it out." I said with a wave of my hand but then I heard someone come running straight at me.

"Out of my way, please!" A woman yelled before barrelling into me, knocking me flat to the ground with a grunt as she then sped past the others, not even glancing back as I lay there blinking at the ceiling.

"What…just happened?" I asked in confusion as Misty helped me to stand up.

"I don't know." She said but then Brock suddenly snapped back into sense. Or at least, into goofiness.

"I know! It's the rush to beauty and excellence and romance!" He cried out then raced after the woman with stars in his eyes and dust in his skull. He'll never change.

"I guess we'd better follow." Misty said so we set off running, following both Brock and the lady who had knocked me over. She could certainly run fast, I'll give her that. I didn't even see her coming until it was too late. We found her at the pier edge, looking at a screen with a sonar view of the water in front of her.

"Excuse me I know you're busy with your equipment and all…but I just can't wait to express my feelings for you!" Brock declared but the woman hushed him, making him crouch down and quickly clap his hands down over his mouth.

"Be quiet! Or I won't be able to hear them when they speak." She said quietly but Ash just frowned in confusion.

"When who speaks?" Suddenly we could all hear this slight wailing coming from the monitor, a sad yet soft echoing call that made me lean closer to hear the voices better.

"It sounds like their crying." Misty whispered quietly but the scientist merely smiled.

"It's the song of travel." She explained and Ash tilted his head to the side.

"That's a song." I smacked him on the back of his head.

"Ssh!" Just then the bleeping of the monitor became a little more insistent and tiny white dots appeared on screen, getting closer and closer to our position.

"Yes! They'll be here soon. Lanturn look, here they come!" She said excitedly as she stood and we all looked out onto the open water, searching for what was coming closer. Suddenly the heads of Pokémon jumped out of the water, rising to the surface with quiet calls and instantly we all called out in unison.

"Lapras!"

"Look at 'em all!" Misty beamed happily, instantly in her own world with all these water type Pokémon. I bet she'd love to catch one of her own someday.

"It's great to see them all looking so well!" The scientist said with a wide beaming smile.

"So it was the Lapras who were doing all the singing." Ash realised but then one Lapras called out and swam over, making me blink and step back out the way as it pressed its face against Ash and began to nuzzle him affectionately, speaking to him as he did so. "Hey there Lapras, you sure are a friendly one."

"It's trying to tell you something." Misty deduced so we all looked out at the other Lapras, who were singing in unison to us all.

"Yeah, seems like all of them are." Suddenly it hit Ash full on. "Hey wait a minute, I know you!" He remembered, smiling broadly with a laugh. "Lapras! You're my old buddy aren't you?" He said then hugged Lapras again as it cooed at Ash. No way! This is the same Lapras that Ash helped back in the Orange Islands? That's amazing, and to think they thought they'd never see each other again! Just goes to show that you can never really say goodbye to great friends. "I didn't even recognise you, you really grew up Lapras."

"So that's the very same Lapras that we knew way back in the Orange Islands." Brock said and the scientist looked at us all curiously.

"The Orange Islands?" She questioned and Misty nodded her head.

"Uh huh, that was the last place we saw them when Lapras was small." She explained to the lady who looked up at the sky thoughtfully, the cogs turning in her mind.

"The Orange Islands. That makes sense…that's it! The last piece of the puzzle that reveals the Lapras migration route! Thanks so much Ash!" She turned to Ash who blinked and stared at her.

"Uh…how did you know my name?" He asked her in a slightly baffled tone but the woman merely waved a hand dismissively.

"I'm Naomi, director of the Pokémon Marine Lab." She told us and we all gasped at the same time.

"Huh?!"

"You're the director of this whole laboratory?" Misty questioned in disbelief and Naomi nodded her head simply.

"Uh huh. Well actually it's a one woman operation here. Just me." She told us. Wow, that's got to be hard work. "So Ash, Professor Elm told me you'd be coming to pick up the Pokémon egg, is that correct?" But before Ash could answer Brock had slipped his way in and grabbed both of Naomi's hands.

"Naomi! All of this talk is senseless, let's talk about you! About your likes and dislikes, your favourite band or favourite colour, your blood type, everything!"

"Enough." Misty ordered, grabbing Brock's ear and began to lead him away as he hopped and flinched in pain. "How about the most annoying Pokémon breeder she ever met." Misty suggested as she walked away and I couldn't help but giggle. Those two make quite the act.

"Hey Naomi, do you spend all your time up in the laboratory studying those Lapras?" Ash asked with intrigue so Naomi turned around and smiled to him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I work in the area of Pokémon marine biology." She told him but Ash's face remained blank, not having a clue what she just said so I stepped in and made it simple for him.

"Naomi studies all kinds of Pokémon that live in the water, genius." I told him with a playful punch to his shoulder. "Now how about we go get that egg?" I suggested with a smile and Naomi chuckled.

"Of course. Right this way." She said then began to lead the way.

"So Naomi, what exactly are you studying about the Lapras?" I asked her as we all walked together back to the lab.

"Every year the Lapras migrate to these same waters at the exact same time, but we haven't been able to figure out how they can navigate so accurately. They're somehow able to know from a great distance away when the water temperature and season is perfect for them to return, and they then share this information with the other Lapras but with an astounding speed." She explained and I awed at the information slightly. That was amazing. "I study all the different sounds a Lapras makes with its voice, trying to decipher exactly what is being said between them. It's all very mysterious and very interesting too."

"That's incredible. You mean like the song of travel we heard before?" Misty questioned as we reached the lab again, walking inside together.

"Exactly. However despite years of studying, very little is known about the singing." Naomi informed us. "But I am sure that one day we'll be able to understand what they are saying, it's just going to take some time. Now you guys wait here whilst I go get you the egg." She said with a smile, leaving us in the comfortable lobby to walk into one of her studies.

"Oh I just love Lapras, I want to catch one someday." Misty squealed to herself, hugging Togepi to herself as she wriggled. "They're just so cute and lovable and cuddly, I can't wait!"

"Not like you then Misty." Ash said in a joking manner but Misty took it a little bit to heart.

"WHAT WAS THAT ASH KETCHUM?!" She demanded to know, practically doubling in size as she loomed over him, making Ash cower back as he began to sweat.

"Argh! Nothing! I was just saying 'just like you then', right?" He tried to backtrack so Misty shot him a look then turned away, turning her nose up as I bit on my fist to keep myself from laughing. It wouldn't help the situation if I did, so it's best to just keep quiet.

"Here you go. The egg's in here." Naomi said, carrying a large box forwards then set it on the table where we all crowded around. Naomi lifted off the lid and I released my breath when I saw the egg. Perfect, green and oval shaped. Sweet!

"It's green." Misty noted in surprise, probably expecting a blue one like I had been, considering this was a marine Pokémon lab.

"What kind of Pokémon is it?" Ash asked but Naomi only shrugged.

"It's a complete mystery to me Ash. It's said to have originally come from the Pokémon preserve up on Mt Silver, but at some point the egg was stolen by a group of poachers." That instantly made my blood boil. Stealing Pokémon was criminal, but stealing an innocent egg that had no way of defending itself from a mother is just cruel! How could they? "Somehow it fell out of the hands of the poachers but fortunately, it was discovered then brought here to the lab."

"I'll bet that's when you decided to call Professor Elm." Brock said, lifting his head with a smile as I continued to gaze at the Pokémon egg.

"That's right Brock, I figured he'd be able to preserve the egg and ensure it's in good health. Did you know he's the advisor of the Johto Pokémon preservation council?" No he didn't, that's quite cool.

"I never even heard of that council." Ash admitted as Misty gave a gentle smile, once again calm and relaxed.

"He sure says a lot, but he never told us that." She joked gently as I reached out and touched the egg. Instantly a flood of fear washed over me and I cried out and whipped my hand back, smacking Ash in the face in the progress in my hurry to get away.

"Ow! Ruby what're you doing?! That hurt!" He complained, holding his face but I just stared at the egg, taking deep breaths to try and control my racing heartbeat.

"Ruby are you okay? Did the egg tell you something?" Misty asked in concern, reaching out and touching my shoulder so I shook off the feeling then nodded my head.

"It's scared. Very scared." I informed everyone then approached the egg again, this time remaining calm and relaxed as I reached out and picked the egg up. "You gave me a bit of a shock, didn't you little buddy?" I questioned as I cradled the egg to me. "But its okay, you don't have to be afraid anymore. We're your friends." I told it before giving it a quick glance over. "You know, it seems in good health regardless of what it's been through." I said to Naomi who was frowning.

"Wait a moment, what did you mean when you said it was scared? How could you tell?" She asked and I blushed a little, however Misty came to my rescue.

"Ruby can use aura. She uses it to communicate with Pokémon and even eggs too." She said and I gave a little shrug.

"It kind of sprung on me one day." I said bashfully, putting the egg back in the nest Naomi had made in the box. Suddenly we heard one of the Lapras calling to us from the water, so we went to the balcony to see Ash's old pal gazing up at us. "Hey Lapras, what are you doing?" I asked, giving a chuckle and a wave. "I'm Ruby, Ash probably didn't mention me before, but he's told me all about you!" Lapras splashed the water happily in reply, making us all laugh.

"You know Ash, I think Lapras wants to play with you." Naomi said.

"Really? You think?" Ash blinked before cheering. "Alright! Let's go Lapras!" He started to laugh in excitement, leaping over the balcony down to the beach then began to rush along the sand, waiting for the right moment before springing onto Lapras's back.

I watched them play with a smile, even as they soared over a powerful and large wave Ash couldn't stop laughing. With Ash, he made friends for life. Although he was separated from quite a few of his Pokémon, they always remember him and will always be his friend. I just don't understand how people can just have a Pokémon and not truly bond with it the way we seemed to. It was the best part of raising a Pokémon, growing stronger together.

With a sigh I turned and went inside as the sun began to set for some of Naomi's tasty hot cocoa. We'd just about settled down and were thinking about getting ready for bed when a unanimous cry came from all the Lapras, making us all jolt upright and became alert to everything. "The Lapras!" Naomi cried and flung herself out the door to run to the pier, all of us following close behind. "No!"

"Where'd that net come from?" Brock asked in astonishment, seeing all the Lapras tightly pressed together and trapped in a large net, struggling to move without even a hope of breaking free. Suddenly a Gyarados head rose up from the water, a hatch opening up to reveal none other than the Team Rocket duo.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation." They began but I shook my head, not wanting to listen to another word.

"You three clowns listen to me! You'd better let all those Lapras go or you'll be sorry!" I yelled at them, interrupting their beloved motto. Meowth leaped up from inside and shook an angry fist.

"Can't you see we're in the middle of something here, twerpette?!" He demanded.

"Hey twerp! You can't just butt in like that! We have an entire routine planned for this and you've just gone and ruined it!" Jessie yelled at me but I merely pulled out a Pokéball.

"Does it look like I care?" I sassed at her, making a wrinkle appear in her forehead as she growled.

"Hey!" Ash yelled as he sped forwards with his Lapras, making all of those who were trapped call out for help. "Let those Lapras go!"

"Drat, it's the twerp and his Pikachu." Jessie growled.

"We'd better get out of here fast before he ruins our beautiful planning!" James agreed then pulled out a Pokéball. "Weezing, go! Use Smokescreen!" He ordered and his Weezing appeared with a gasping voice, instantly blowing out a thick smog which blocked everything from view and provided Team Rocket with the perfect cover for a perfect escape.

"Oh no you don't. Dragonair! It's show time." I called and the moment she was in the water I jumped onto her back. "Dragonair, dive down and follow Team Rocket, we can't let them escape with the Lapras!" Dragonair instantly dove underwater, so I took a deep breath then held it, squinting in the darkness as Ash and his Lapras followed above.

Suddenly Dragonair used Protect and I was surrounded by a bubble which pushed out the water, allowing me to breathe so I gave a laugh, smiling brightly. "Way to go Dragonair! Now, follow that sub! Listen for the Lapras, if we can follow their sound then we can find Team Rocket." I said and Dragonair shot forwards.

Lapras appeared at our side, swimming quickly underwater and then a sub on my left where I could see Ash and the others at the windows, following our lead. We swam for a while, completely submerged in the water but when Lapras suddenly shot ahead, I knew that he had heard his school of other Lapras. "Follow Lapras, he knows where to go." I pointed and Dragonair instantly arced her body around and followed.

When we faced the rest of the Lapras I gave a sigh of relief, glad to see that they were okay and escaped from Team Rocket. However on closer inspection as Dragonair swam around them, I noticed that a couple of them seemed to be missing. I could have sworn there had been a Lapras of a paler colour than the others, right? So where was she?

Feeling the hairs on the back of my neck tingle, I turned and looked over to the massive water cyclone. Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and reached out with my aura, searching the waters and sure enough, my fears were confirmed. The Lapras leader and the mother of Ash's friend were trapped in that twister, along with Team Rocket.

Without warning Ash's Lapras lead the way, guiding all the other Lapras up into the current so I nodded to Dragonair who had looked back at me. "Let's follow, they might need help." Dragonair turned and sped forwards, twisting her body into the current to ride it, her voice calling out along with the other Lapras to make a beautifully haunting and mysterious melody I would never forget.

We followed the Lapras, who banked off from the current and let it carry them up to the surface so Dragonair rose with them, using her spiralling motion to part the water and carried us both to the surface with the sub in hot pursuit.

Dragonair broke free and rose up into the air, flying up into the starry sky then let the shield around us collapse, instantly focusing on Team Rocket who gasped in horror. "It's the scary twerp!" Meowth screeched then hid behind James just as the sub emerged and Ash flung open the hatch.

"Not so fast! Give those two Lapras back, now!" He demanded.

"Pika Pika!"

"No way." Jessie answered stubbornly.

"We want more than two…"

"So what we'll do…" Meowth said with a lisp, continuing James's beginning of a rhyme.

"Is just steal yours from you!" Jessie finished, flinging out a Pokéball. "Go! Arbok!"

"Go! Weezing!" Not if I can help it. They are not going to get away with those Lapras, or any of the others either.

"Ready Pikachu?" Ash asked but surprisingly, it was Brock who stepped in front.

"Let me handle this Ash. Golbat! Let's go!" He called and his Pokémon appeared, flying up into the air. "Sonic Boom!" Instantly Golbat began to beat the air with his wings, directing it at both Arbok and Weezing but the former dodged smartly out the way.

"Arbok, use Poison Sting!" Sharp needles darted out of Arbok's mouth and struck Golbat, making it click and clench its eyes tightly shut, taking the hit.

"No! Golbat!"

"Dragonair, use Protect!" I called, jumping off of her back and dove into the water to get out the way as Dragonair shot towards Golbat and formed a protective barrier to stop him from being hit from the Poison Sting.

"Thanks Ruby. Golbat, use Supersonic!" Brock called and Golbat made to make the attack but then started to glow. We all gasped, staring upwards as Golbat began to evolve, growing smaller and an extra pair of wings as Dragonair continued to protect him from the Poison Sting though I could see the shield beginning to fade.

"Hurry Brock!" I called out to him from the freezing water, shivering slightly but then a head rose up from underneath, making me yelp as I slid down a neck to settle on a Lapras's back. "Hello there." I said to it in surprise, holding on before we both turned back up to the sky.

"Arbok, keep up that Poison Sting!"

"Go Weezing, use Sludge attack!" James added and the two rose up again. Finally Golbat finished evolving, leaving a new Pokémon I had never seen before in its place so I pulled out Dexter to see what information there was listed there.

"Crobat, the evolved form of Golbat. With its two additional wings, Crobat is able to fly much faster than Golbat." That's awesome! A newly evolved Pokémon! Looks like Brock was right when he said he thought Golbat might evolve soon. Maybe that's why he chose to enter the battle right now.

Just then Dragonair's protection shield burst and the two attacks barrelled straight towards her, making her rear back in fear, frozen in place but then Crobat flew in front of her as a shield. "Crowbat, use Sonic Boom!" Brock countered and the four powerful wings began to hum, moving so fast that I couldn't even see them. The powerful wind knocked aside the attacks and confused both Weexing and Arbok, making them sway from side to side before starting to head butt one another instead.

"Alright! Go Crobat!" I cheered, whooping brightly as Misty, Ash and Naomi freed the last two Lapras, who dove into the water and Lapras's mom raced to her son, the two of them reuniting by rubbing their heads together lovingly. Aw, that's so cute. And with the backdrop of the moon, I just couldn't help but take a photo, so I snapped it up quick before patting the neck of my new friend Lapras. "Okay Lapras, let's go teach Team Rocket a lesson." I said and it nodded its head before turning around. "Altogether, use Ice Beam! You too Dragonair!" I ordered, pointing at Team Rocket who all squeaked in fear, watching as the beams of ice shot towards them then froze them into a popsicle, Pokémon and all.

"Pikachu, let's finish this with Thunder!" Ash directed and Pikachu leaped up into the air.

"Pika…CHUUUU!" Powerful streams of electricity struck Team Rocket's ice cap and the ground exploded, launching them up into the air and I could just about hear them yelling their familiar exit tune before they were gone from sight.

"Oh yeah! That's the way to do it!" I cheered happily. "Don't mess with the Lapras, because the Lapras will mess with you!" The Lapras I was riding splashed the water with its fins, making large splashes so I giggled as Dragonair descended downwards towards me. "Thanks for your help Dragonair, I knew I could count on you. You take a long rest now." I said to her with a smile, letting her return to her Pokéball.

"Hey Ruby! Looks like you've found a new friend!" Misty called over to me as the Lapras began to swim around in a quick circle and I had to hang on tightly to keep from falling off.

"I know! Isn't it adorable?!" I called back with a laugh, unable to stop giggling as the spray splashed into my face. I was cold but I didn't care, enjoying the ride the Lapras was giving me as a way of thanks for my help. "Hey Ash! I'll race you back!" I challenged so he ran for the water's edge and jumped onto his Lapras.

"You're on! Ready, set…go!" He yelled then started to laugh with me as the two of us swam back for the lab, however as Ash's Lapras began to move all the other Lapras followed, looking to him as if he were their leader. I guess he did just prove he had the strength to take the ropes in the real leader's absence, though looking back, I could see and feel that the real leader was glowing with pride.

We got back to the cove and everyone settled down for a rest, worn out from the evening's little fiasco, however early in the morning, we all rose up to say goodbye to our Lapras. My new friend was pretty, with a heart shaped mark on the side of her neck and beautiful cerulean blue eyes. Now that I could see her, she was definitely the most beautiful Lapras of them all. "You look after yourself now, and make sure Ash's Lapras doesn't do anything stupid." I said jokingly, giving her a hug as she rubbed her head into me. "And one day, I hope you and I can meet again. I'd really like that you know."

The Lapras gave a soft call, rubbed her head against me one last time then swam back to the pod, pausing slightly to wait for Ash's Lapras as he too turned back. They gazed at one another for a moment before rubbing heads then moved towards the front of the pod where the leader and Lapras's mom was waiting. "Aw that's so cute! Both of your Lapras are in love!" Misty squealed as Togepi chirped cheerfully.

"Well, at least they'll take care of one another." I said, taking one last photo of the group together. I'll definitely remember those Lapras, especially the one with the heart shaped mark. With a distinction like that, maybe one day we will be able to find one another again and have another awesome adventure togheter.

"Hey look! There was a handover!" I was jolted from my daydreaming to see Ash's Lapras taking the lead of the pod. "The leader was so impressed with your Lapras's maturity that it handed over its responsibility as leader." Brock explained to us all, making everyone smile.

"Wow! That's so great! Who'd have thought that Ash's Lapras would become the next leader?" Misty said as Ash laughed then called out.

"That's so great Lapras! I'm proud of you!" In answer Lapras called back then dove underwater, leaping back up to fly into the air, rising with the sun and I quickly snapped a photo, capturing each speckle of light from the water droplets as a special memento for Ash.

"And with how young Lapras is, it's hard to imagine all the amazing things it'll be able to achieve as it grows older and stronger." Brock added as I turned to Ash.

"It's because of you Ash. You're the one who trained Lapras to be so strong, which meant it was able to help save its family." I told him then showed him the picture I'd captured last night of him surfing on his Lapras, both of them smiling with Pikachu on Lapras's head. "And your Lapras will never forget that."

"Thanks Ruby. You're the best." Ash said. "Make sure you print off a copy for me!" He laughed and I nodded my head.

"You bet!"


	40. Chapter 40

We decided to take it in turns in carrying the egg and right now it was Ash's turn. We were sitting down in a quiet spot, eating a little lunch and I had Latias in my lap, feeding her noontime bottle to her whilst Ash munched on a sandwich and spoke at the same time. "I just can't wait to see what Pokémon it is!"

"I bet it's the egg of a legendary Pokémon." Brock said. "Why else would Professor Elm entrust us with such an important quest?"

"You really think so?" Misty asked in slight astonishment before looking to me. "What do you think Ruby?"

"Well, I can't sense any legendary power from the egg like I did with Latias. To tell you the truth, it still feels scared." I told them with a shrug. "But hey, I've been wrong before." I paused for thought. "Once."

"Come on! Hatch legendary Pokémon and show us who you are!" Ash commanded playfully but the egg started glowing, making Latias stop drinking to look at the egg with curiosity.

"I think it must have heard you Ash, because it _is_ hatching!" Brock almost yelled. "Quick! Let's put it out on the towels!" Ash quickly took off the lid then pulled out the egg and the towels at the bottom, spreading them out and rested the egg there as we waited with anticipation.

The light died away and left us with a simple egg again, making us all sigh in disappointment. "Oh, it's a false alarm." Misty sighed. "Never mind."

"Cheer up guys." I said, bouncing Latias gently as she smiled. "Maybe it just wants a more dramatic entrance. Right little one?" I questioned Latias who nodded her head with a little chirp before snuggling into my arms, making me smile and hug her securely.

When the others all gasped I looked up and watched as the egg glowed again but after a few seconds, returned to being normal.

"Another false alarm." Brock sighed.

"I guess it just wasn't ready to hatch." Misty said but Ash wasn't so ready to give up as he reached out and picked it up.

"Yeah? Well maybe all it needs is to get a little more warmed up." He said stubbornly as he put the egg under his shirt then began to sing. "Come on out, come on out legendary Pokémon!" I shook my head with a sigh as Latias gave a confused look up at Ash then a soft whine to me so I covered her ears.

"It's okay Latias. We'll get through this." I told her blankly as Ash continued to sing badly. However the egg must have liked it, because it suddenly started to glow even brighter than before and we could see it even through Ash's black shirt.

"The egg! It's glowing again!" Ash gulped as he sat back down, holding the egg carefully until finally the light disappeared. "Guys." Ash said to us and we looked up at him. "I think it hatched." He said, his face filled with panic.

"Let's take a look." Brock suggested so Ash peeled back his shirt to reveal a baby Pokémon with green skin with black markings and a red patch on its belly.

"I did it!" Ash crowed at the sleeping Pokémon and Latias called out excitedly, shifting in my arms then flew up into the air, hovering a couple of feet to fly wobbly around in a circle before falling down but Misty caught her with a serious expression as she looked at Ash.

"Don't go overboard, you didn't hatch it." She said before turning to Togepi and Latias. "Isn't that right?" She cooed and Latias gave a sing song echo in reply as Togepi kicked up her little feet as she chanted.

"Let's see what your Pokédex says." Brock said as I picked Latias up again and settled her in my lap, finishing her feed. Ash pulled out Dexter and flipped it open, holding it towards the Pokémon in his lap.

"Larvitar, the rock skin Pokémon. Larvitar generally hatch deep within the earth and take a long time before coming to the surface."

"So it's a Larvitar." Brock smiled as he leaned forwards for a closer look.

"It wasn't a legendary Pokémon after all." Latias hung her head sadly so I lifted her up and hugged her.

"Don't worry Latias, Larvitar can still be your friend." I told her optimistically. "After all, it'll need someone like you to help it get used to everyone else." This instantly made Latias brighten so she nodded her head then flew a little clumsily over to Ash but Pikachu helped her land gently on the ground by running forwards and catching her as she came in for a rough landing. "Great catch Pikachu." I giggled as Pikachu crawled out from under Latias then pricked up his ears and smiled at me.

"Pika. Pikachu!" He then helped Latias sit up by carrying her on his back to look a little closer at the Larvitar which still hadn't woken up. Shouldn't it have moved by now?

"Hey guys…do you think Larvitar is okay? It isn't moving." I pointed out and fear struck everyone at once. Brock reached out and lay a hand on Larvitar, checking its temperature.

"You're right Ruby, this Larvitar's temperature is way too low even for a rock Pokémon! I think we should get it to a Pokémon centre right away!" He said and instantly Latias's eyes became misty with tears as she began to whine, worried for the Larvitar and Pikachu instantly tried to comfort her.

"Pika Pi, Pikachu Pika." He said, giving her a hug and patting her back but I was already by her side and picking her up, letting Pikachu jump onto my shoulder as I cradled and comforted her tenderly.

"There now it's okay, Larvitar will be just fine." I assured her and she stopped crying, giving a little sniff as she looked up at me. "We'll take good care of Larvitar and it'll be healthy again in no time."

"Where do we go Brock? New Bark Town is still ages away." Misty asked as Brock pulled out his guidebook.

"There is one closer. We have to go right away!" Nodding my head and with Latias in my arms, Pikachu on my shoulder and Ash carrying Larvitar, we all ran for the Pokémon Centre and didn't stop until Nurse Joy was taking care of our emergency case.

She ran all the basic health checks, wrapped Larvitar up in a blanket then stepped back with us all standing by, watching with worried expressions. "You were right, its temperature is much too low but I can't seem to find anything else wrong with it." Nurse Joy told us worriedly.

"But Nurse Joy, isn't there anything you can do?" Ash asked but Nurse Joy shook her head.

"I'll contact Professor Elm. He'll know." She said as she walked over to her computer.

"Hey, why don't we put this heater in front of Larvitar?" Misty suggested, standing beside the appliance which was tucked away in the corner. "That might help warm it up."

"Great idea Misty." Brock said then set it up in front of Larvitar where we all remained watching it with concern. Latias looked up at me then nuzzled my face.

"La…La Latias." She murmured and I sighed.

"I hope Larvitar will be okay too Latias. We've just got to be patient for now." I said as the storm clouds began to gather overhead and rain fell down to the ground. Ash closed the window to keep out the draft and Latias flew carefully from my arms, making the small distance over to Larvitar then curled up beside it, resting her head over its small body then closed her eyes to help try and keep it warm. "That's nice of you Latias, good thinking." I said, rubbing her head gently as Nurse Joy walked back to us.

"Professor Elm appears to be out but I sent him an email. I hope he gets back to me soon, it's not looking good." She said, looking down at the trembling Larvitar.

"Yeah, it's shaking is getting worse." Brock worried. Lightning flashed from outside and I felt a spark of fear from Larvitar and from Latias so I quickly shut the curtains.

"I think I'll take it's temperature one more time." Nurse Joy said, but when she saw the reading her gasp made me look up in alarm. "It's temperature just keeps on getting lower and lower! If this keeps up, it's life could be in danger!" Just then there was another flash of lightning and all the lights cut out, as well as the heater.

"The power's gone out!"

"Without the heater, Larvitar will really get cold!" Ash yelped in fear but Nurse Joy frowned in confusion.

"Wait a minute though, whenever the power goes out, the emergency generator is supposed to start up automatically. I'm going to go check it out." She said then quickly left the room. Latias shifted closer to Larvitar and Pikachu joined them, moving close to try and share some body heat.

We waited and waited but it took a long time for Nurse Joy to get back. "What's taking Nurse Joy so long?" Ash wondered aloud as the storm continued to rage outside.

"The power is still off." Misty said, glancing around the dark room as sirens began to wail. All of a sudden the door opened and Nurse Joy appeared with a doctor at her side.

"The ambulance is here to take the Larvitar." She announced and I blinked in surprise. Ambulance? That must have been fast thinking. I didn't know she called an ambulance.

"We need to transport the patient to our Pokémon Centre immediately." The doctor said and we all beamed happily.

"Nurse Joy!"

"We're so glad that you're here!"

"It's alright now." Nurse Joy said as she and the doctor walked up with a Pokémon stretcher on a trolley. "Put the Larvitar on here."

"Okay." Ash said, picking up Larvitar so I collected Latias into my arms, Pikachu jumping onto my shoulder for the time being as Ash started to hand over the Larvitar without a second thought.

"Wait! Hold on!" Brock suddenly called and jumped in front of Ash, spreading out his arms to stop Ash from handing over the Larvitar.

"What's going on?" Ash demanded as Brock stepped forwards and began to closely inspect the Nurse Joy standing before us, who moved backwards slightly in surprise.

"What is it?" She asked politely as Brock got a little closer, squinting at her in the dark. Has he finally lost it? Maybe Misty needs to pull her ear trick and get him out of here.

"I knew it." Brock suddenly declared, turning to face us with a studious expression. "This Nurse Joy is a cheap imitation."

"That's ridiculous!" I'll say. How can Brock even tell them apart? They all look the same to me. As far as I know, this is the same Nurse Joy we saw walk out only a few minutes ago. "What makes you think I'm not the genuine Nurse Joy?" She asked in her usual polite tone.

"The real Nurse Joy has the voice like an angel, clear and soft like a songbird in a tree! But you." He suddenly glared at the supposed imposter. "Your voice sounds like a dirt truck on a gravel road. Not only that, but the real Nurse Joy smells like fresh wild flowers growing in a field! But you, all I'm getting from you is the smell of holes dug deep in the earth." Wow, sorry we asked.

"Holes?" She questioned and I began to scratch my head in wonder too. I think he's definitely lost it.

"Plus the real Nurse Joy is beautiful and her mouth moves when she speaks!" Now that is a point. I know it's dark, but come to think of it I don't think Nurse Joy's mouth has been moving very much.

"Urgh. I've had enough of this!" Nurse Joy suddenly declared then whipped off her face-no mask-to reveal Jessie. "I'm a hundred times prettier than she is!" She hissed angrily, insulted by Brock's actually quite impressive detection.

"Team Rocket?" We all questioned in confusion as Meowth leaped up from under the stretcher trolley, holding a paper fan in his hands.

"Way to go, now you've gone and blown our cover!" He yelled then smacked her on the head, making her yelp as James took off his disguise.

"Alright then, we'll take it by force!" He decided then grabbed Larvitar and tried to take it from Ash but he held on.

"No way are you getting this Larvitar!" He argued, the two of them struggling over the Poké mon and "And we'll take that one too!" Jessie growled, grabbing Latias who instantly began to cry out for me, crying with fear as I was shoved backwards into the wall, hitting my head hard.

"Pika!" Pikachu called out as I slumped to the ground, groaning in a daze. What just happened? Did Nurse Joy just evolve into Jessie? Wait…they took Latias!

"Pikachu…give me a jump start." I moaned, rubbing my head as I tried to get up whilst everyone else blocked in Team Rocket, yelling in anger as they held the two baby Pokémon.

"Pikachu. Pika…CHUUU!" With a yelp I leaped up, getting a sharp jolt of electricity which knocked me back into my senses. "Pika?"

"Thanks Pikachu, I needed that." I said and he smiled before jumping up onto my shoulder and we both glared at Team Rocket. "Alright Team Rocket, hand over those Pokémon!" I ordered then lunged for Jessie as she tried to push her way past Misty.

I grabbed hold of Latias and pulled her back to me but Jessie maintained grip also, trying to tug her back but I refused to let go. "Give it up twerp, this Pokémon is _mine_ now." Jessie hissed but I glared at her.

"I don't think so. Latias is _my_ Pokémon, she's staying with me!" With that I looked at Pikachu. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu launched himself off of my shoulder and slammed into Jessie at high speed, making her yelp and jerk backwards, letting go of Latias so I quickly pulled back with her as Pikachu swiftly got out of Jessie's way as she tried to grab him.

Pikachu darted between her legs and she fell over trying to grab him, making me snort with laughter as he jumped back onto Ash's shoulder as he pulled away with Larvitar, leaving James with only the blanket. "Hey! What's the big idea?" He demanded as Ash drew back.

"Pikachu, give 'em a Thunderbolt!" He called as I hugged Latias tightly and smiled as she rubbed her head against my cheek.

"I'm so glad you're alright Latias." I said to her as Pikachu struck Team Rocket with a powerful shock, sending them running for the hills.

"I'm going to go find Nurse Joy, I bet she was locked away somewhere by those crooks." Brock said and Misty grabbed an umbrella.

"I'll go too. We should check the generator as well." She said to Brock as they hurried out the door.

"Don't worry Larvitar, Team Rocket have gone now." I looked over to Ash to see him cradling Larvitar carefully, wrapping him up in a new blanket. "We'll get you warm real soon." He promised before blinking. "I know! Come on out Cyndaquil." He said as he picked up Cyndaquil's Pokéball then let him out.

"Cynda? Cyndaquil." Cyndaquil squeaked.

"Hey Cyndaquil, you think you could warm up Larvitar for us?" Ash asked and I walked closer, sitting down on the bed with Latias shivering in my arms.

"Good idea Ash." I said as Cyndaquil fired up his flames to an intense heat, making Ash startle back.

"Whoa Cyndaquil! Not that much!" He said so Cyndaquil toned it down a little and sat on Cyndaquil's other side as we warmed up both the baby Pokémon. "Now how does that feel?" Ash asked Larvitar as he held him like a baby should be held, making me smile proudly as Latias yawned sleepily then settled down again. "Hang in there Larvitar, I'll get you healthy and warm again I promise." Ash said softly so I stood up and put Latias into his other arm. "Hey what are you doing?" He blinked.

"I'm going to make a warm bottle for both of them. Maybe that'll encourage Larvitar to wake up, or at least it'll help give him some strength." I said as I pulled out my bag then rummaged around in Brock's for the things I would need. "Cyndaquil, could you fire it up a little please?" I asked and Cyndaquil nodded his head.

"Cynda. Quil!" He squealed softly as I held a pan of Moo-Moo milk over his back and he began to heat it up for me. I mixed in some nourishments and vitamins, gave it a good stir then once it was warm but not too hot, I poured equal measures into two bottles, sealed the caps then gave them both a shake.

"Thanks Cyndaquil." I said with a smile. "Here Ash, you can feed Larvitar." I said and handed him a bottle after I'd shifted Latias into my arms. She sniffed the air, smelling the milk then instantly squealed happily, making me laugh. "I see all this excitement hasn't affected your appetite." I said then looked over to Ash who was trying to force the nib into Larvitar's mouth. "Steady Ash, you've got to be gentle." I told him. "Here, I'll show you. First you drip a little of the milk around the baby Pokémon's mouth near the nose so it can smell and taste it itself." I said, demonstrating.

"Huh?" Ash watched as I showed him what to do and the moment the sweet milk was settled on Latias's lips, she stuck out her tongue and licked it away and once her tongue was sticking out, I offered her the nib which she instantly began to suck on. "Oh right, I get it." Ash nodded then repeated what I had just done.

Larvitar gave a little twitch, his lips jumping ever so slightly at the warm milk before a tiny dark blue tongue poked out and brushed against it as he shivered. "That's it! You're doing great Ash." I said as Ash tried again and soon, he had Larvitar drinking from the bottle hungrily, Ash blinking in surprise before smiling brightly.

"Look Pikachu! Larvitar is drinking!"

"Pika!" Pikachu beamed, looking down from his shoulder as Ash gave a quiet laugh.

"You know, this feels really special." He said to me quietly, not wanting to disturb the Pokémon as they fed. "There's just something amazing about raising a Pokémon from an egg, I've really enjoyed playing with Phanphy and helping you with Latias."

"I know. They're just too cute not to love, no matter what kind of Pokémon they are." I agreed as Latias finished her bottle then gave a big yawn and went straight back to sleep. "You know, maybe I should get Pidgeot out. If we huddled under her wings, we'd be even warmer and Larvitar may get better faster." I suggested so Ash nodded his head.

"Alright, let's try it."

"Pidgeot, come on out." I whispered and Pidgeot appeared behind us, standing on the bed then looked down at us with a quiet chirp. "Hey there, do you mind if we snuggle with you for a bit? We've got a very cold baby Larvitar here and we need to get him warm." Pidgeot instantly nodded her head and settled down on the bed and spread her wings, placing them around us as Cyndaquil continued to keep up its flame, turning around so that he didn't singe Pidgeot's feathers.

We huddled together all night, trying to keep Larvitar warm and we stayed that way until the early hours of the morning, where I woke up when I felt Ash kicking out slightly, having a nightmare. I felt bad waves coming from Larvitar, fearful ones but somehow, they were locked onto Ash. I guess those two must share a special connection. I'm not surprised, Ash is becoming fiercely protective over Larvitar since it hatched.

"Larvitar…" I gasped quietly when I heard Larvitar whisper softly and Ash woke up, blinking and shaking his head.

"Larvitar?" He questioned quietly as to not wake the others. "You were having a nightmare and, somehow, I was there with you." He said then looked up at me. "Ruby, has that ever happened to you?" He asked but I shook my head.

"No, I've never experienced the dreams of my Pokémon." I told him, sitting up a little but then the door swung open to reveal Professor Elm.

"Oh Ash, I'm so sorry we're late!" He said but then someone else appeared.

"So how is our sick patient?" Professor Oak and instantly I was standing up.

"Professor Oak?" He nodded his head to me but followed after Professor Elm as Ash put Larvitar on the bed and we both returned our Pokémon as both professors took a closer look at our poor little guy.

"So you're saying this Larvitar had a low body temperature when it first hatched, and continues to drop?" Professor Elm asked as he studied the Larvitar closely.

"And you've been warming it with various methods all this time?" Professor Oak continued and Nurse Joy nodded her head.

"Yes, but nothing we've done so far has had any effect at all." She informed them as I hugged Latias closely, feeling her worry mixed in with my own.

"What do you think's the matter with it professors?" Ash asked.

"Do you two think you'll be able to help this Larvitar?" Misty questioned with tender concern as Professor Elm crouched down closer and turned his head to look at us.

"You kids leave it to us. We'll find out what's wrong with this Larvitar and help make it better." He promised us. "Why don't you all get some breakfast?" He suggested.

"Or get some proper rest. You all look very tired." And so there was nothing else we could do. Except sit there and wait.


	41. Chapter 41

When we walked back into the E-R, it was a great relief to see Nurse Joy and the two professors smiling with Larvitar looking a lot warmer than he had done before. He wasn't even shivering anymore!

"Your Larvitar is going to be just fine now kids." Professor Elm said as he put away his medicines.

"Keeping it as warm as possible was the right thing to do. You all saved its life." Professor Oak told us and I sighed with relief before lifting up Latias high into the air to celebrate.

"You hear that Latias? Your new friend is going to be fine!" She cheered with me but then suddenly I had two very interested professors crowding around close to see Latias.

"Now that the danger is out the way, let's have a closer look at this fine young specimen." Professor Elm said as he lifted my Latias out of my hands, making my jaw drop before my face burned red with anger, eyes starting to glow. Both Misty and Brock took a smart step back, just in case. "Wow, I've never seen a real Latias before! I've heard all about them of course but to actually see one, and hold one! This is a rare and valuable Pokémon with a lot of amazing facts to be discovered if I could just study it…"

"Thank you but I'll be the one doing any studying of this Pokémon." Professor Oak stated simply as he took Latias, who was beginning to look a little frightened which instantly set my pulse into high gear. How dare they manhandle my Latias?! "As it is Ruby's Pokémon, its research will be done back at my lab in Kanto, which is where all her other Pokémon live."

"But she hatched it here, so I reserve a right to any data that may have been discovered here!" Professor Elm argued, taking a hold of Latias and tried to take her back but Professor Oak hung on.

"No, _me_!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"ME!"

" _ME_!"

"Enough!" I thundered and forced my palms directly outwards, pushing both professors backwards and tumbling to the ground smartly then caught Latias as she was thrown up into the air. "No one is studying Latias, not until she's old enough to leave my side and at the moment, she's only a baby. So any research is being carried out by _myself_." I told both of them sternly as they rubbed their sore heads. "Understood?"

They both coughed then stood up, straightening their lab coats before Professor Oak sighed. "You're right of course, Ruby. I'm very sorry, I just can't believe our good fortune. Well done for finding such a wonderful Pokémon and taking good care of it." I nodded my head with a smile, once again calm as Latias nestled into the crook of my neck.

"I'm sorry too, I always get excited at the prospect of a new research topic." Professor Elm told me. "I hope you'll forgive me Latias." Latias gave a bright smile in return.

"Latias! La La!" She cooed back then held onto my shoulder, levitating the rest of her body into the air and used me as a guide to pull her through the air as she practiced her flying.

"She says not to worry. She understands." I smiled before looking to the Larvitar that Ash was now once again holding close.

"Hm. Strange." Professor Elm noted suddenly. "Its body temperature is back to normal and it's fully conscious, but it doesn't seem to react to external stimuli." He said and Professor Oak nodded his head.

"That combined with the fact it hasn't eaten since it hatched suggests that we still have a problem." I lifted a tentative hand.

"Actually, Larvitar has eaten. I fixed up a bottle last night and Ash fed him. Larvitar drank it all, right Ash?"

"Right." He said then jostled Larvitar very gently to try and get its attention. "Hey Larvitar, you've got to tell us what's wrong. Come on, please say something." He begged softly but then Nurse Joy appeared with her Chansey.

"Breakfast is ready for everyone. We may as well eat something and think about what to do next afterwards. No one ever solve a medical mystery on an empty stomach you know." She said warmly and the professors both nodded their heads, stomachs rumbling.

"That's a good idea." Professor Elm agreed.

"Come on kids, let's leave the Larvitar to rest for now." Professor Oak said but I paused, glancing back to Larvitar then to Latias who blinked at me then nodded her head.

"La La, Latias La." She said so I gave her a smile.

"Actually, I think I'll stay." I said to everyone. "Just to keep Larvitar company."

"I'll stay too." Ash agreed, refusing to relinquish his hold on the Larvitar. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Ash? Not hungry?" Misty blinked in astonishment.

"That has to mean he's worried." Brock noted before leaving the room with everyone else. Instantly I turned around and faced Ash.

"Larvitar is still afraid. He's afraid of people and everything around it. That's why he's refusing to respond." I explained, beginning to pace back and forth with Latias hanging onto my shoulder and chirping happily as she tagged along for the ride. "What exactly happened in your dream?"

"Well, it started with Larvitar's egg falling off a motorcycle and into a river, which then somehow ended up in a town and the egg almost got run over by a truck. It was pretty scary. No wonder you don't want to meet the world." Ash said, looking down at Larvitar as Pikachu's ears dropped sadly.

"Pika Pi…"

"Ruby, can you talk to Larvitar?" Ash said and held Larvitar out to me, making me blink. "You know, like you did with Latias. You helped Latias get healthy again when it was still an egg. Could you do that for Larvitar now?" Giving Ash a gentle smile I pushed Larvitar away from me and back towards Ash.

"No Ash, I can't. Not this time." I told him and he blinked.

"Why not?"

"Because Larvitar doesn't want me, he wants you." I explained. "If Larvitar wanted my help, he would have shared his dream with me. Instead he reached out for you, because he knows how much you care. I think you're the one who's meant to help Larvitar break out of his shell, so it's up to you to try." Ash looked back down at Larvitar, deep in thought. Pikachu reached out and tugged on his jacket, drawing our attention to him.

"Pikachu, Pika Pi, Pika Pika!" Pikachu nodded his head with an encouraging expression.

"Pikachu…you think so too?" Ash questioned and Pikachu nodded his head decisively.

"Pi." He said so Ash got to his feet.

"Alright then! Larvitar, you're coming with me." Ash said and began to march his way outside and I followed a little behind to watch what he did. When coming into contact with fresh air and the warm morning sun, Larvitar actually opened his eyes. "Hey Larvitar! You're awake!" Ash said with a smile. "I'm going to show you what a great place the world is, so come on!" He walked out away from the Pokémon centre then stood facing the ocean a few feet away from the cliff with Pikachu at his side. "This is what we call a field, and that out there is the ocean. Isn't it beautiful? Above that is the sky, see how it goes forever?" He said and Larvitar looked out blankly.

"Pika." Pikachu agreed softly as Ash put Larvitar down to feel how soft the grass was here.

"You don't have to be scared of this world Larvitar, it's full of great things like friends and sunshine, and no one's going to hurt you." He promised. Latias called out then flew over, getting quite a decent way before losing her balance and tumbled down onto Ash's head, making her squeal with laughter along with Ash who picked her up. "And this here is Latias, she helped keep you warm last night. She wants to be your friend too, right Latias?" Ash asked and Latias nodded her head.

"La!" Ash put her down and she nuzzled her head against Larvitar who tensed and pressed his eyes shut, but Latias ignored that and continued to comfort him, trying to befriend Larvitar and slowly, he uncurled and even looked at her. "Latias!"

"Lar?" He gave a soft question and Ash chuckled.

"You see? We're all friends here. Look, even lying here doing nothing feels great!" Ash said as he lay back and stretched out on the grass. "Come on! Why don't you give it a try?" He suggested so Pikachu led the way, falling back and spreading his arms and legs out with a cheerful little chirp.

"Pika Pika!"

"And look!" Ash pointed up to the Jumpluff who floated in the sky, happily calling away as they floated on the wind. "Can you see how happy those Jumpliff are up there?"

"Oh spare me." A voice drawled and instantly I was on my feet, looking over to a pair standing before a large haystack.

"Who're you?" Ash questioned, lifting his head up by his hands which were curled underneath.

"Prepare for trouble and stop your dreaming."

"Make it double, because we're busy scheming." They both began and my eyes instantly widened, recognising that washed out beginning no matter what the disguise those two meanies wore.

"To protect the world from goodie two shoes."

"And let you know when you snooze, you lose!" Huh? Wait a minute, that's not the Team Rocket motto I know. What's going on now?

"Go ahead, take your nap and float away to dream land."

"Then your Pokémon will be under our command." I think I preferred the old one. This one doesn't flow as well. Both newcomers whipped off their disguises and sure enough, it was Jessie and James, back from the hike they were sent on yesterday.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth ended finally with his paws lifted high.

"Team Rocket!" Ash growled as I reached his side and Latias instantly jumped into my arms.

"What do you three losers want?" I demanded. "Because if it's Larvitar and Latias, then you're out of luck! Because we're not going to let you take them." But they all just fell back against their haystack with a dreamy sigh.

"Come join us Larvitar. This hay here is much better than that itchy old grass." Jessie said temptingly, coking her finger at Larvitar.

"Oh yes. We'll show you how to really relax."

"Forget it!" Ash yelled at them. "Larvitar's not going to fall for that scheme." Ash assured them so they stood up.

"Oh really?" Jessie queried, placing a hand on her hip.

"Then we'll have to go for plan B." James answered simply as Meowth narrowed his eyes darkly and smirked at us, then punched the air with a smug expression.

"Operation Larvitar now in effect!" I do not like the sound of this. As the trio ran into the hay, it was a couple of seconds before it suddenly burst apart and revealed a frightening looking machine which roared loudly and came bearing down on us, making Latias squeal in fear then hide behind me, clinging on tightly to my jacket as I took a step back.

"Now what's that?" Ash questioned so I whacked him on the head.

"Does it matter? Move it!" I yelled so he quickly grabbed Larvitar as a net came swinging down at us.

"Just hand over the Larvitar!" Jessie growled as we set off running.

"No way!" Ash yelled, holding Larvitar in front of him as a large fist suddenly jumped forwards from the machine, opening up into a hand which chased after Ash as he continued to run.

"Watch out Ash!" I called as I leaped to the side but Ash didn't move fast enough. The hand grabbed him and Larvitar tumbled out of his arms, falling to the ground as Ash was wrapped up tightly in Team Rocket's trap. "No!"

"Pika Pi!"

"La!" Latias cried out then suddenly sprung from my back and flew through the air in a controlled descent, sliding along the floor at the last moment and caught Larvitar, making her look back at him with a smile. "La…La…Latias La." She said as Larvitar blinked in surprise.

"Lar?"

"Latias! Larvitar!" I called then tried to run for them but another hand shot out and grabbed me, making me cry out in alarm before I fell to the ground, arms pinned to my side and unable to move except for a pathetic wriggle which got me nowhere. "Both of you, get out of here!"

"Pikachu! Get them to safety!" Ash yelled as he tried to squirm free. "Larvitar, you have to run. Run away! You hear me? Save yourself!"

"Pikachu! Pika Pika!" Pikachu tried to shake Larvitar awake but he had closed his eyes and was now no longer responding to anything on the outside, too scared to face it.

"Watch out Pikachu!" Both Ash and I yelled as a claw reached out to snatch Pikachu away. Pikachu jumped out in front of Larvitar and Latias to protect them and sent a Thunderbolt at the machine but it only absorbed the attack and made Team Rocket laugh.

"Here's the real shock." Jessie gloated.

"Our machine is fully insulated, absorbing all of your electrical attacks!"

"Wobbuffet!" I heard Wobbuffet echo as I tried to worm my way over to the Pokémon but before either Ash or I could do anything, Pikachu was snatched up and lifted away by Team Rocket's machine.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash called and I turned my head to see the net descending towards Larvitar and Latias.

"Now for the main course, one legendary Pokémon and another valuable one coming right up!" Don't you dare! Meowth I'll pull out your claws one by one if you so much as touch my Latias! However the Jumpluff from earlier reappeared and began to dance in front of the net and the baby Pokémon, protecting them from being captured.

"Get those Jumpluff out of the way! We don't want them!" Jessie growled angrily then the net began to knock Jumpluff out of the way, hitting them to the ground and Latias gave a whine of worry towards the Jumpluff, trying to fly up to help them but she only got a few inches up before she dropped down again.

"Latias! La!" She tried to call for me so I fought even harder to escape, however I then felt like my ears would burst as Larvitar let out the most ear splitting Screech I had ever come across.

"LAAAAAAAAAAAR!" He yelled, making everyone including the Pokémon tremble and flinch back from its shrill scream.

"Larvitar! Go now! Get away from here!" Ash called and Larvitar stopped screeching to look back at Ash. "Run! Run now before you get caught! Don't you understand? Save yourself Larvitar!" But Larvitar just stared at Ash, slightly stunned and immobilised by confusion.

"It's alright Larvitar." I said to him, still struggling against my restraint. "It's okay to be afraid, but that's what friends are for. We're here to help you grow strong and protect you from what frightens you, but you've got to run and take Latias with you! She needs _you_ right now!" I called and with a blink of his eyes, Larvitar looked down to a crying Latias, who was just as scared as he was.

"Grab them now!" Jessie ordered.

"Right on it!" James answered and the machine powered forwards, making Latias throw back her head in a wail, tears pouring from her eyes and that seemed to be the final straw for Larvitar. He narrowed his eyes and began to glow around his body, tiny orbs circling around him in several rings as he hummed in concentration.

Suddenly the machine lifted off the ground and flew upwards, making Team Rocket cry out in shock as Larvitar stopped the machine from getting any closer to Latias, who blinked in astonishment at Larvitar's impressive power. The machine began to shake and suddenly the clamp let go of Pikachu who beamed and dropped to the ground.

"Pika Pi!" He called to Ash who had just managed to wriggle out of the hand and I too broke free, kicking the hand away then turned to watch Larvitar's awesome attack.

"Are you okay Pikachu?" Ash asked and Pikachu nodded his head as I helped Ash to stand.

"Pika." Pikachu nodded his head then jumped into Ash's arms, all three of us then turned to watch Larvitar as he shook the machine one last time then flung out his arms with a yell, rushes of air flying out with shimmering light and launched Team Rocket high into the air until they were no longer in sight.

"What was that?" Ash asked in baffled shock as I laughed and ran over to Latias, sweeping her up into the air then hugged her tightly.

"That was Larvitar's Hidden Power!" I said, unable to stop smiling as I reunited with my sweet little Latias. "That was awesome Larvitar! You saved us all!" I told him as he blinked up, seemingly surprised at its own strength.

"Great job!" Ash agreed as he ran over with Pikachu. "You really showed Team Rocket."

"Lar."

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu praised as I rubbed Latias's neck then beamed up at her as she held onto my shoulder and floated behind me.

"That's what teamwork is, we all help each other out." Ash explained to Larvitar who turned his head to the side thoughtfully.

"Lar?" The Jumpluff returned, floating in front of Larvitar who instantly ceased up but Ash knelt down to the ground beside him.

"Don't be afraid of them Larvitar. They're your friends now." Ash told him gently. "Like us. Just look! There's nothing scary, everything's fine now." Ash turned to look at the dancing Jumpluff and the newly arrived Bellossoom as they all danced and chanted prettily. "See that? Those Bellossoom are doing a dance just for you, welcoming you into their world."

"Pikachu." Just then an entire ever flowing stream of Butterfree and Pidgey flew from the treetops, rising up into the sky and the Butterfree dazzled in the sunlight, creating a picturesque scene which I captured with my camera, then took a silent photo of Larvitar's smiling face as he gazed upwards.

"Larvitar, know what I think?" Ash asked as I took a photo of the three of them together. "I think now you've truly hatched." And those are the words of a true genius. I'm proud of Ash right now, I knew he was the one who would be able to help Larvitar get over the worst of his fears.

Ash laughed as he picked up Larvitar in his arms, Pikachu jumping to his shoulder and the three of them all beamed at one another, smiling broadly and I captured the moment with my trusty camera then took a photo of myself and Latias, smiling with a wink as Latias squealed. She loved having her picture taken.

"Ash, does it seem like Larvitar is responding normally now?" Professor Elm asked gently as everyone approached.

"Yeah! I'm sure it's going to be fine." He said as Misty walked closer and leaned over Larvitar.

"Oh good!" She said in her gentlest voice but Larvitar instantly ceased up, curling into himself at the sight of Misty getting too close.

"Oh no! It's hardening up again!" Brock said with shock but I just gave a simple shrug of my shoulders.

"Well what do you expect?" I asked them all. "Larvitar is still very afraid, Ash has only just started the beginning of the process to fully cure Larvitar's instinctual fear. It's going to take time and hard work to really help Larvitar get over everything he's afraid of." I said and Professor Oak nodded his head.

"Very true Ruby. You've turned out into a great Pokémon researcher. I might have to start calling you Professor Bates if I'm not careful." He teased so I giggled.

"Don't worry professor, my road is set, and the name professor just doesn't fit in." I assured him as I walked over to Larvitar and tickled his belly lightly where I knew all Pokémon seemed to respond. It was no different with Larvitar, he instantly uncurled and kicked his legs, smiling warmly as he laughed at the tickling sensation so I gave another giggle. "Yup. We're going to be just fine."


	42. Chapter 42

With Ash and I registered for the Johto Silver Conference, we now had three months to work on improving our strategies, training hard with our Pokémon and also, do a little more travelling. Hey, we want to get to Mt Silver in plenty of time, right?

However with Larvitar still hardening whenever Brock or Misty tried to interact with him, it seemed that we still had a long way to go with helping get over its fears. Ash had taken to carrying Larvitar around in his backpack, and got protective whenever Misty or Brock set it off with a Screech. It seemed only Ash and I were the ones Larvitar trusted, aside from Pikachu and Latias of course.

I had taken to doing therapy sessions with Larvitar, connecting with him every night and just talking to him through emotions, helping him to see that there was nothing to be afraid of and showing him again and again how strong he had been in protecting himself and Latias against Team Rocket with his Ancient Power attack.

As well as the therapy, Ash took Latias out exploring whenever we stopped, taking him to see new things despite me saying that he was being too clingy and protective of Larvitar, who now hardly ever went more than a foot away from Ash but Ash always argued that it was still scared and needed him. Quite a few times we'd storm off in opposite directions after such an argument.

He just doesn't understand. If Larvitar becomes too dependant on Ash, then he'll never fully develop his own courage and belief. He'll never be able to return back to his mother on Mt Silver. Stupid Ash Ketchum.

However today was one of the good days, where not one argument had taken place and we were eating our favourite sandwiches, Pikachu and Larvitar munching on their Pokémon food. "Is that good Larvitar? It looks great?" Misty asked softly but Larvitar instantly ceased up, making Misty sigh in disappointment and stand up. "Well, guess it still doesn't like me." She said sadly so I gave her a smile.

"Larvitar doesn't hate you. He's just still nervous around other people. You know, he refers to you as 'the pretty' one." I told her before taking another bite out of my sandwich.

"Really?" She asked and I nodded my head.

"Sure. He likes the colour of your hair. He thinks it's warm like the sun." I explained. "He told me so only yesterday." Misty have me a sharp look.

"Are you just trying to make me feel better? How do you know Larvitar said all that?" I tapped my head.

"Aura. I've been working on it. Sometimes the emotions come through as words and thoughts, it takes real connection and concentration with Pokémon who resist like Larvitar does, but I'm getting better at it. I can do it with Latias almost effortlessly." I said with a smile.

"That's so awesome!" Ash laughed. "Did you talk to Professor Oak about it?" I paused then shook my head.

"No. I'm not planning on it. He always tries to hold me back, as if _he's_ the one who's scared of what I can do. So I'm just going to try figure it out on my own."

"We'll help you Ruby. You don't have to do it all by yourself." Brock said. "Right guys?"

"Yeah!" Both Misty and Ash chorused but before I could thank them, the bushes began to rustle behind Ash, drawing my attention, as well as everyone else's. What's that?

"What is that?" Ash asked as he stood up and just then, two yellow ears popped up, shaped like twin rectangles. "Whoa, is that a Pokémon?" Suddenly the rest of the Pokémon popped up, revealing thick arms, a rounded yellow body with black strips.

"Hey look, it's an Elekid!" Brock told us so I pulled out Dexter to see what he had to say.

"Elekid, the electric Pokémon. Elekid is the pre-evolved form of Electabuzz, it generates electricity by spinning its arms." Dexter said as the Elekid strolled forwards then snatched the food from Larvitar's hands, lifted it up then dropped it into his mouth as we all gasped.

"Wait! You give that back, it belongs to Larvitar!" Misty said angrily down at the Elekid. Pikachu, disliking the treatment of the new baby of the family, instantly leaped forwards with an unimpressed, stormy expression.

"Pi Pika!" At the challenge Elekid began to swing its arms around and around in fast motion and Pikachu charged himself up before the both of them sending out their attacks. Unfortunately, one certain genius decided to get in the way.

"Hey you guys, stop!" With a double hit of Thunderbolt, Ash collapsed to the ground. "Bad idea…"

"Way to go genius." I rolled my eyes then looked at the Elekid who began patting Larvitar pretty hard on the back. "Hey, be careful!" I said, reaching out to pick Larvitar up but when a net shot out and snatched both Elekid and Larvitar up, I whipped my hand back. "Hey!"

"We're taking these two with us!" Meowth gloated as we all called out for Larvitar.

"So say goodbye!" Jessie trilled.

"Yes, goodbye and good riddance!" James agreed as the balloon began to make its escape.

"Not so fast, Bayleef! Let's go!" Ash called and picked out his trusted Bayleef who appeared with a hearty call.

"Bay!"

"Razor Leaf attack!" Ash directed and Bayleef instantly swung her head around, shooting out a fast volley of leaves which struck against the net but bounced off, not even making a scratch no matter how many times she hammered away at it.

"Looks like your Razor Leaf needs to be sharpened." Jessie smirked as I growled. I'll wipe that look off her face real soon, you wait and see!

"Weezing use Smokescreen, now!"

"Pidgeot, blow it away!" I called, tossing my Pokéball up into the air then covered my mouth with my arm as the smoke covered us, making me cough and choke on the sick fumes but then Pidgeot's trill caught my attention as she beat the air with powerful wing flaps, chasing away the smoke but with the wind, the balloon sailed away with the help of its rocket boosters as well.

"No! Larvitar! Larvitar come back!" Ash began to panic, trembling slightly with worry. "What do we do? I don't know what to do! Poor Larvitar, it's going to be so scared without me there. We have to find them! What should we-YOW!" He yelled as I thumped him on the back of the head with my fist.

"Cool it genius! We go look for them, that's what!" I yelled at him as he groaned on the ground. "Now, get up and follow me, we go this way! Pidgeot, you take the skies and see if you can spot them!" I called ahead and she nodded.

"Pidgeo!" With that we began our search. Stupid Team Rocket, always ruining everything. We walked a little way before I stopped and placed my hands on my hips, turning back to the others.

"We'll wait here to see if Pidgeot comes back with anything." I said as Ash sighed, resting a hand on Bayleef's neck.

"I hope that Larvitar isn't getting too scared." He said with worry.

"It was just starting to get used to us and then Team Rocket shows up." Misty agreed bitterly.

"I know. Now I bet it'll be just as shy and afraid as when it first hatched." Brock said.

"You never know, some time away from us might be exactly what Larvitar needs." I suggested with a shrug, making everyone look at me in confusion, though Ash looked angry.

"How can you say that? Larvitar is only a baby!" I nodded my head simply and pursed my lips.

"True, but baby's grow up Ash. Or at least they're meant to, but you're not letting that happen. You like having Larvitar all to yourself the way it is, you like to care for him and feel important but that's not how raising Pokémon works. You've got to let a Pokémon grow and explore new things on its own, learn how to make the right decisions on its own without you there to influence them. I think some time away from you with that tough looking Elekid will help Larvitar, at least we know Elekid will keep an eye on him for us." I finished just as we saw the bushes begin to rustle. "Huh?"

"What's that?" Ash asked just before a tall and green Pokémon appeared.

"Mega." It said, blinking once before walking over to us, a large pink and white flower around its neck.

"Bay." Bayleef greeted.

"Mega Mega." The Meganium answered as it looked down at us. Wow, I never realised how big Meganium were before now. They're huge!

"What Pokémon is this?" Misty asked in astonishment as Brock and I answered together.

"It's a Meganium!"

"Meganium, the herb Pokémon. Meganium have the ability to restore fully dried out plants and bring them back to life with its breath." Ash's Dexter informed us as the Meganium continued to blink at us simply.

"Wow! I've never seen one before!" Ash said with interest.

"I never realised they were so big!"

"Me neither." I agreed.

"Meganium, there you are! Now where's Elekid…" A familiar voice called out and Casey walked into view, completely oblivious to our presence until she looked around. Then she smiled brightly and gasped.

"Casey!" Ash greeted with a laugh.

"Well if it isn't Ash, Ruby, Misty and Brock! How are you guys?" She asked as she stood beside the Meganium, which was easily twice her height.

"We're doing fine Casey. Now is this your Meganium?" Brock asked her and she nodded her head proudly and excitedly.

"Uh huh. After it evolved from a Bayleef, my Meganium has become my best batter and the pride of my whole team!" She told us all.

"That's so cool Casey." Misty said to her as she turned to face Ash directly.

"So Ash, what's up now with your Bayleef?" But then she turned to look at us, as if only just noticing it. "Uh oh, hasn't evolved. Sorry Ash." She said it as if it were a bad thing, which made me shake my head slightly but smile all the same.

"It's fine. I'm glad that Bayleef didn't evolve yet." He said, making Bayleef smile and her eyes sparkle as they looked at each other.

"Bay…" She said softly and I chuckled, rubbing her head gently.

"Well that may be fine for you but Meganium are just the best. Talk about speed! Meganium scores and inside the park home run lickety split! Your Bayleef is really better suited for the minors, triple A league." She boasted and Ash blinked in surprise.

"Well, I think Bayleef is a major leaguer." He answered and Bayleef nodded her head and nudged up against Ash proudly however Casey had already moved the conversation on.

"Well the big news is, I finally found an Elekid to catch! I've dreamed about having this Pokémon. Those stripes, those great yellow and black stripes! I know that together Elekid and I can cheer the Electabuzz all the way!" She cheered, giving a whoop as she jumped up and I chuckled.

"I see some things never change. Still a loyal Electabuzz fan." I noted to her and Casey instantly punched the air with pride.

"You bet your necktie on it! The Electabuzz are going all the way this year! They've got the best hitting and pitching!" She declared with great pride so I didn't even bother arguing. "But somewhere along the way, I lost track of that Elekid." She suddenly deflated, looking at the ground.

"We saw an Elekid." Ash dared to say and instantly Casey was right up close in his face.

"Get out of town! Where Ash?" She demanded to know, misty tears in her eyes.

"A ways back it just…popped out." He began, going stiff and rigid at the close proximity. Kind of like Larvitar I guess you could say.

"Yeah, go on!"

"Then…Team Rocket showed up and stole it." Instantly Casey hung her head.

"Not _them_ again." She groaned before shouting up at the sky. "I can't stand Team Rocket! When I catch up to those crooks, it's going to be three strikes and you're out!" Casey yelled with a fierce determination on her face as her Meganium struck a pose beside her.

"Mega!" Suddenly I heard the rustle of wings and I looked up at the sky.

"Pidgeot! Did you find anything?" I asked and she nodded her head as she hovered above us.

"Pidgeo! Pidgeot Pidgeo!" She answered then pointed with her wing in the direction she had seen Team Rocket.

"Alright everyone, floor the gas, we're getting both Larvitar _and_ Elekid back." I said determinedly, tilting my hat back and twisted my neckerchief around to get serious, then raced after Pidgeot as she showed us the way.

"Who's Larvitar?" Casey asked in confusion as we ran so Misty and Brock quickly explained. We came across the crash site of Team Rocket's balloon but no trace of the trio or our duo, plus the basket and rocket panels were gone. Dang it, we missed them!

"Let's keep going, Pidgeot, keep your eyes on the ground from above!" I called up to her so she flapped her wings and gained more altitude to scan a higher expanse of the woods. We hadn't been running long when a piercing, albeit very familiar Screech shook our eardrums, threatening to burst them and we instantly stopped and covered our ears.

"What is that?" Casey demanded with face tightly clenched to try and block out as much as the sound she could.

"Well. We found Larvitar." Brock grunted and we spotted a new balloon floating across the sky, carrying a net below with two Pokémon inside.

"There's my Elekid!" Casey yelled.

"Larvitar!" Ash called up and instantly Larvitar stopped, turning to smile happily down at Ash. Ah, I think we have a daddy's boy up there. Now that's just too adorable.

"Meganium, Razor Leaf let's go!" Casey called and Meganium instantly released a flurry of leaves from underneath its flower petals and they instantly cut through the net, allowing both Elekid and Larvitar to fall down to freedom.

"Pidgeot, use Air Slash!" I pointed up at the balloon and Pidgeot instantly flew up with a flurry of wings, flying straight for the Team Rocket balloon then gave a sharp flap of her wings, cutting straight through the balloon and it exploded with a large bang, sending Team Rocket flying off into the sky. "Pidgeot, catch Larvitar and Elekid!" But they were already gone from sight.

"Pidgeo!" She called down to me and flew towards a cliff where we all ran to check it out, but found no Elekid or Larvitar.

"The net's here…but the Pokémon are gone!" Casey worried.

"They must have fallen over the cliff when the net broke." Misty gasped as I looked up at Pidgeot then gave a sharp whistle. She banked around and I jumped off the cliff edge, landing securely on her back then turned to face the others.

"I'll meet you guys down below. I'll search for them with Pidgeot from the air."

"Right." They all nodded then raced away as Pidgeot turned and began to skim the treetops, searching the area around the cliff where the net had been found until we found tracks.

"Alright Pidgeot, you know what to do." I said and she nodded her head to me.

"Pidgeo!" She chirped then flapped her wings to follow the footprints. We got a couple hundred metres when Pidgeot suddenly stopped and began to coo dreamily, turning her head to sniff the air. "Pidgeot…Pidgeo…"

"Pidgeot? What's the matter?" I asked but she didn't answer, merely turned and began to follow the smell of a soft, sweet smelling aroma that seemed to be coming from the forest. "What are you doing Pidgeot?" But she merely began to descend to the ground, eyes misty and dreamy as she followed the scent. "Maybe it's Sweet Scent? You gotta wake up Pidgeot! Snap out of it!" I yelled and Pidgeot jumped, blinking quickly then shook her head.

"Pidgeo!"

"Alright, way to go Pidgeot! Huh?" I looked down to see a Weepinbell sat on a tree stump, with Elekid, Larvitar and the gang all approaching, attracted to the Sweet Scent however before the two little Pokémon could get too close, they fell down a hole dug by Team Rocket. "No!" And as the gang all rushed up, they too fell into a hole. What is it with Team Rocket and digging holes?

"We'll be taking these two if you don't mind." Jessie crowed as she grabbed Elekid and Larvitar in a net then began to walk away, James carrying the Weepinbell in his arms. Wait, I thought he had a Victreebell.

"Go Pidgeot!" I pointed and Pidgeot dove down to the ground, tucking her wings in tight to gain speed. "Use Quick Attack!" Pidgeot soared low over the ground, spreading her wings then lifted off to spin around, smacking her wings into Team Rocket so that they flew to the ground and crumbled into a heap with a cry of shock. I guided Pidgeot around then she landed in front of Team Rocket, blocking their escape route as the others climbed out of their pitfall thanks to Meganium. "I don't think so Team Rocket. We're not going to let you get away with Larvitar and Elekid." I told them as I jumped off of Pidgeot's back then placed a hand on my hip.

"Urgh. I've just about had enough of you. Go Arbok!" Jessie called. "Use Poison Sting!"

"Dodge it and use Aerial Ace!" I countered and Pidgeot flew forwards with blinding speed, spiralling over Arbok's attack then slammed into him at top speed.

"Phanphy, use Tackle!" Ash called as he sent out Phanphy against James's new Weepinbell. Phanphy hit with a powerful force but James hit back with tears in his eyes.

"Don't you take that from them! Use Razor Leaf!"

"Dodge it and send 'em flying Phanphy!" Ash retaliated and Phanphy began to whip around its trunk, deflecting all the leaves before barrelling forwards, gaining speed to hit Weepinbell. "Use Rollout!" Phanphy jumped and tucked himself up into a tiny ball and charged towards Weepinbell.

"You use Vine Whip Weepinbell!" James cried out and Weepinbell struck Phanphy with its vine, sending Phanphy flying backwards and to the ground.

"Phanphy no!" Ash gasped as Weepinbell jumped back to James's side.

"That's the spirit Weepinbell!" James praised as Meowth smiled.

"That Weepinbell is better than any Victreebell." He crowed but then the Weepinbell began to glow bright white, shimmering prettily and everyone blinked in surprise. Wait, Weepinbell was evolving? Sure enough, when the light disappeared it had become a new Victreebell, which made James's eyes sparkle with love. "I don't believe it."

"Another Victreebell?" Jessie said questioningly, blinking in surprise but the moment the Victreebell jumped up and clamped down on her head, she screamed. "Get this thing off of me!" Suddenly something snapped into place. I get it now! Victreebell like to clamp down on people of opposite genders to show their affections! So that means James's last Victreebell had actually been a female, and this one must be a male. Looks like Jessie's in a bit of a tight spot.

"The net!" Misty called, pointing to Larvitar and Elekid so I jumped up onto Pidgeot and she flew forwards, grabbing the net that Jessie had dropped as Team Rocket all struggled to pry Victreebell off of Jessie's head as she continued to screech and wail. She even rivalled Larvitar's Screech attack.

"Larvitar! Are you okay?" Ash asked as he pulled the net off.

"Larvitar." Larvitar answered with a nod of his head then smiled warmly as Elekid slung an arm around him.

"Bee-Bee!" It said proudly as I dismounted.

"You've been looking out for Larvitar, haven't you Elekid?" I questioned and it nodded proudly to me. "Thanks a bunch, you're a really great Pokémon!" I chuckled then looked over to Team Rocket, who had finally got Jessie out of the trap.

"That's it! Either Victreebell goes or I go. Arbok! Get this thing out of my sight!" She commanded so Arbok surged forwards and slammed into the Victreebell, sending it flying off into the air and I blinked in shock. Hey! She can't do that!

"Oh no! Not you too!" James cried, trying to reach out for the Victreebell but it was already gone from sight.

"Now, it's time to turn our attention back to Larvitar and Elekid. Arbok! Go get them!" She commanded and her faithful Pokémon surged forwards.

"Oh no you don't. Pidgeot, use Air Slash!" I countered and Pidgeot instantly began to beat the air, sending waves of harsh wind at Arbok and sent him crashing back into Jessie who then slammed into the others. "Take that." I said then stuck out my tongue for good measure.

"Meganium, Solar Beam!" Casey called and Meganium absorbed the light of the sun into its petals before shooting out a powerful beam of light at Team Rocket, which made the ground explode and Team Rocket soared up into the sky.

"Look's like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

"Woo!" I laughed, jumping up and punching the air. "Now that's a one hit knock out! Awesome strike Meganium."

"Mega!" Meganium beamed down at me but Casey was now focused on the Elekid.

"Alright Elekid, are you ready to be caught?" She asked then pointed to him as he began to charge up his electricity by spinning his arms around and around. "Meganium go! Razor Leaf!" She called as Elekid sent out a Thundershock at Meganium. "Dodge it!" Meganium smartly leaped out the way then hit Elekid with all the Razor Leaf it could muster but Elekid punched forwards and deflected them all.

"Wow! That's one powerful Thunder Punch!" Brock appreciated as Casey smirked excitedly.

"You've sure got some silky smooth moves Elekid. Meganium use Tackle attack!" Casey directed and Meganium charged forwards with alarming speed and power, slamming into Elekid and flung him back with ease. "Now, Meganium, throw your secret Solar Beam pitch!" Meganium charged up its power then let out a powerful beam of light strike at Elekid with a direct hit, the electric Pokémon unable to stop it so it just took the attack, making my eyes widen slightly. Now that's some spunk.

When the light disappeared Elekid keeled over, falling backwards and Casey instantly cheered. "Alright! Now go Pokéball!" She pitched her Pokéball and threw it at Elekid, capturing him in the Pokéball then waited as it twitched and flashed at us, making us all lean forwards with baited breath.

Finally it clicked shut and Casey squealed with immeasurable joy, racing forwards and picking up her Pokéball which contained her newly caught Elekid. "Yes! It's a grand slam! I just caught an Elekid!" Larvitar walked forwards with a sad expression and approached Casey.

"Lar." He said softly and Casey looked down at him.

"What's that Larvitar? Don't worry, Elekid is fine! Now that I have Meganium _and_ Elekid battling on my team, we'll for sure be going all the way to the series and probably win!" She said brightly and Larvitar blinked before smiling widely.

"Lar! Larvitar." He said and nodded his head so I chuckled then lifted him up.

"Look at you, making friends and talking to people you don't know. I say we've broken through a little more of that shell of yours, and it's all thanks to Elekid." I said to him, tickling his belly and he instantly kicked out with laughter in my arms.

"You're right. I guess I was being a little too protective over Larvitar." Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "I promise I'll try harder not to be so worried."

"No problem Ash, it's good for Larvitar to know that he always has you to rely on. Right Larvitar?" I questioned and Larvitar nodded his head.

"Larvitar." And with a yawn and a stretch, Larvitar curled up in my arms and went straight to sleep.


	43. Chapter 43

After stopping at the Pokémon Centre at the base of My Silver, we finally began to make our way up to the Pokémon Preserve at Professor Elm's request, to return Larvitar to its mother. I knew it was the right thing to do, but I will really miss Larvitar, and I think Latias will too.

"Latias…" She sighed sadly, holding onto my shoulder to float behind me as I walked with her.

"Huh? Latias? Are you okay?" She shook her head then sniffed, tears filling her eyes so I pulled her around and into my arms to cradle her gently. "It's okay, this won't be the last time we see Larvitar. One day we'll come back and visit, by which time you'll both have so many stories to tell one another. Isn't that right Larvitar?" I asked and Brock turned around so that Larvitar could answer.

"Lar!" He agreed, smiling happily.

"Larvitar has turned into a really happy Pokémon." Brock noted proudly as he carried Larvitar in his arms.

"It seems to have gotten over its fear of all of us ever since it spent all that time with Elekid." Misty agreed. "Larvitar doesn't even harden up anymore. Isn't that right Larvitar?" She questioned and Larvitar gave her a big smile.

"Lar!" He gave a cheerful response as Brock looked in his guidebook.

"Hmm…up there should be the preserve run by Ranger Mason, but I can't tell which side of the bridge it's on." He said but he didn't need to as Larvitar suddenly called out and leaped form Brock's arms to march over the bridge, pointing ahead and leading the way. "Hey Larvitar, wait up!"

"Larvitar!"

"Guess we're going to that side." Misty laughed as we all ran after the little Pokémon, who continued to race ahead before slowing down to look around him and inhale the air deeply. Finally he began to march forwards, arms lifted up and a bright smile on his face as he laughed.

"Laaaar!"

"This is the happiest I've seen Larvitar." Brock noted as we followed Larvitar through the forest.

"I wonder if Larvitar knows that this is his home, even though he was just an egg when he was stolen away from here." Misty wondered as I walked beside her.

"Latias!" Latias nodded her head with a smile and I gave a chuckle as she clung to my shoulder, letting me pull her along.

"That's right Latias. In the later stage of egg development, the Pokémon are able to hear, see and smell things from the outside." I said with a nod of my head.

"In that case, I bet Larvitar recognised home right away." Ash looked back at us all with a smile as we continued to follow Larvitar's lead. We got a little further way into the woods when a low, rumbling growl echoed from the trees, making Latias whimper and shrink back behind me for comfort. "What was that?" Ash asked with a slightly fearful tone so I closed my eyes and pressed my knuckles together, searching for any other auras in close proximity.

"It sounded like a Pokémon." Brock answered as I tried to concentrate.

"If that's a Pokémon, then it sounds like a very big one." Misty answered, holding Togepi closer as the ground began to shake with heavy footfalls. Finally I found the source. A very angry source, however the moment my aura touched that of the Pokémon, it calmed down and was actually surprised.

"It's alright guys." I said as the Pokémon emerged into view, huge and green and mean looking. "It's just…Larvitar's mom." I told them, opening my eyes and looking up at the towering Pokémon who narrowed her eyes down at us.

"What?!" They all yelped and Larvitar blinked in shock. Ash smartly pulled out Dexter to find out what Pokémon we were having a stare contest with.

"Tyranitar, the armour Pokémon. Tyranitar has a heavily armoured body that can withstand powerful attacks and is able to crush a mountain with one hand." So in summary, don't mess with Larvitar's mom.

Tyranitar growled then let loose a roar at us, anger filling the air as I felt it rush out all at once. "Tyranitar calm down! Let me explain!" I called out and quickly reached out to place a hand on her broad belly even as she charged up a Hyper Beam attack. "Listen." I said then closed my eyes, reaching out and connected to Tyranitar. I showed her everything, from the moment we met Larvitar as an egg and the explanation Naomi had given us to tell us how Larvitar had got there.

I showed her all the fun times we'd had with Larvitar and the moment when Professor Elm had instructed us to bring Larvitar back to the preserve, letting her know that we weren't the ones who had taken Larvitar and were not her enemy.

When I stepped back, Tyranitar was perfectly calm and looking down at me with a studious expression. Finally she gave a grunt then turned to Larvitar with a soft call. "Larvitar, that's your mom." Misty told him gently. "Don't you remember her?" She asked as Larvitar continued to just stare upwards at the towering Tyranitar.

"Ruby, did you just calm Tyranitar down all by yourself?" Ash asked in disbelief as I turned around to face him with victory sign.

"You bet! This aura thing is pretty handy, don't you think?" I gave a wink then looked up at Tyranitar. "So Tyranitar, this is Larvitar, your egg. I'm sorry he hatched without you, but at least you're back together again, right?" I pointed out and Tyranitar nodded her head before lowered herself down slightly to gaze lovingly at Larvitar, who blinked before smiling brightly.

"Lar! Larvitar!"

"Latias!" Latias cheered and I giggled, holding her in my arms as I walked back over to the guys. Without warning something blasted out from behind some foliage and hit Tyranitar, enveloping her in a huge orange bag which locked her in place as she roared, falling to the ground.

"No!" We all cried out in horror then turned as a metal machine rolled out into view with a course laughter coming from within. "What's going on? Is that you Team Rocket?" Ash demanded but as three figures rose up from inside, it turned out not to be.

"We're not Team Rocket kid." The middle figure said before the one on his left yelled down at us.

"The bag is ours, so back off you little punks!"

"And just forget about trying to free Tyranitar, that genius Poké-Bag I invented is escape proof!" The last one crowed as my blood began to boil. Poachers. Wait until I get my hands on them. They'll be Tyranitar food!

"With my coaching, a perfect poaching." The middle lead finished and his two goons both cheered.

"You're brilliant boss!"

"Yes, so true." He agreed as I growled under my breath and Latias wore a glare, narrowing her eyes at the poachers as I glanced to the struggling Tyranitar to my right. Don't worry, we'll get you out of there very soon.

"I bet you're the ones who stole Larvitar when it was just an egg!" Misty yelled at them angrily.

"Lar!" Larvitar agreed, making Ash step forwards also.

"You no good poachers! You're not getting away with Tyranitar, we're going to stop you this time!" The middle leader rolled his eyes.

"Don't judge a book by its cover but yes, that's us. I'm Braggo, and what I'm known for is speaking in phrase."

"I'm Chiko, criminal equipment inventor. There's nothing bad I can't invent." The skinny dweeb gloated to us proudly as the last of them finally introduced himself.

"My name's Blurt, I'm the strong silent type but I talk a lot and break stuff by mistake." He said. Great. We're dealing with three more idiots. This is just what we need.

"Together we're…the Pokémon Poacher Brothers!" They all crowed in unison but I stepped forwards and flung out a hand.

"Well I'm Ruby Bates, and this is the end of your career!" I yelled at them. "As the future Director of the Pokémon Protection Programme, I'm going to kick your butts!" With that I turned a fierce expression on Ash. "Are you with me?"

"Yeah! Let's go Phanphy!" He called and threw out the Pokéball of his choice. Okay then, if Ash is going for strength, then I'll go for firepower.

"Charizard, it's show time!" I called. "Come on out!" With a roar Charizard stomped on the ground and spread his wings, standing beside Phanphy and glared at the three brothers who just blinked at us.

"Pokémon Protection Programme? I've never even heard of that." Braggo said with a frown as Blurt scratched his head in confusion so I rolled my eyes.

"Well you have now." I answered back, folding my arms. "Are you guys going to just turn yourselves in? Because if you do it'll make everything a lot simpler."

"Oh I don't think so little girl. Chiko? Bag us that Charizard and then the Larvitar. They'll both fetch us very large prices." Braggo said to his brother who instantly whipped out a remote.

"You got it boss!" With that he punched a button and a Pokémon bag burst out, aiming straight for Charizard.

"Charizard, Seismic Toss on the bag!" I directed and Charizard instantly flew up into the air, twisting around elegantly like we had trained and grabbed the bag as it shot under him. He flew up around in a circle then let it go, allowing it to fly towards Braggo who yelled in shock before it exploded around him.

"Get me out of here!" He bellowed, struggling as his brothers yelped then tried to tear him free.

"Hold on boss, we'll get you out!"

"Don't worry boss, we'll bust you out of there!" But Ash wasn't about to let them get away with anything.

"Phanphy, use Rollout!" He called and Phanphy flapped his little ears with a smile before rolling forwards at high speed, gaining momentum before smashing into the machine and the three brothers toppled from their high stand and the three of them fell to the ground, Blurt landing on top and crushing his brothers. Ha! See how they like it. "Awesome Phanphy!" Ash praised as Phanphy jumped out of its rolling position and smiled back at Ash, wiggling his ears.

"Phanphy! Phan!" With the machine now desecrated, it was time to wrap things up.

"Charizard, get that remote and smash it!" I pointed to the remote which had sailed high up into the air from the collision so Charizard flew forwards and with a spin, whacked it with his tail and it shattered into tiny pieces.

Both bags burst open, freeing Tyranitar who instantly stood up and growled alongside Charizard who hovered at her side. "Uh…boss? Should we run for it?" Blurt asked his brother who nodded his head.

"Yes. That seems a good idea." He said and made a break for freedom, the three of them yelling at the top of their heads.

"Not so fast! Phanphy, Rollout attack!" Ash called and Phanphy barrelled after the trio, knocking them all down like pins.

"Now Charizard, Flamethrower!" I added and Charizard instantly blasted them with a hot Flamethrower which wrapped around them then landed on their other side, blocking their escape route as they whimpered then tried to run back the other way, only to face a _very_ angry mother Tyranitar.

"ARGH!" They all yelled then spun around, blinking down at Larvitar who glared at them.

"Lar! Larvitar! Larvitar!" He yelled then began to glow, using his Hidden Power which lifted the three poachers off the ground.

"I want my mommy!" Blurt wailed as he kicked and flailed around like a Magikarp.

"I want _my_ mommy!" Chiko agreed.

"Fools! We all have the same mommy!" Braggo reminded them hotly before Larvitar then blasted them with a powerful attack, shooting them right up into the air and we all just stared as they yelled, the sound getting weaker and weaker until it became louder once more, the poacher brothers dropping back down to the ground and landed with a large crash. Ouch. That one's gotta hurt.

"What's going on here?" A voice demanded as a woman rode up on a motorcycle with a Croconaw riding behind her. "Oh my goodness! Are they…"

"The three poachers you've been having trouble with for a while now?" I asked. "Yeah. Larvitar caught them for you." With a smile I reached out for Charizard and hugged his face as he lowered it down to reach me. "And you were awesome as always, thank you Charizard." I told him as he growled happily then licked my face with his long tongue, making me giggle.

"Larvitar! Larvitar! Larvitar!" Larvitar called as he leaped up into his mom's arms and hugged her, happily snuggling into her chest as she smiled lovingly down at her baby.

"La?" Latias blinked, watching the two of them then looked away with a sad face so I jostled my shoulder gently to get her attention.

"Hey, it's not that bad. We all have to say goodbye to friends every once in a while, but that's the great thing about best friends. You'll always see them again." I promised her so she took a deep breath, blinked away her teary eyes then smiled.

"La!" She called and Larvitar looked around and waved to her.

"Lar Larvitar Lar!"

"Latias!" Latias called then rose up into the air, flying in a spiral then spread her arms as she twisted, smiling brightly with the sunlight shining on her back, making her dazzling body shimmer until she almost disappeared into the light but then she flew back down and landed safely on my shoulder, making me chuckle. Now that everything was right here and those poachers were caught, it's time to think about one thing only.

The Johto League Silver Conference.


	44. Chapter 44

I stood facing my opponent with a hard expression, though inside I was so nervous I could hardly breathe. This was my first league competition. What if I didn't have what it takes? What if I let all of my Pokémon down, then I'd never be able to face them again.

But, looking at Ash, he'd already won all three of his screening battles, which put him with a pretty good chance of getting through to the semi-finals. If he can do it, then so can I. "Begin!" The ref called and I took a deep breath. I had been selected to go first, so I had to make this a battle that counts.

"Alright, Jigglypuff, it's show time!" I called and she appeared with a twirl, giving a bright smile for everybody who was watching.

"Jigglypuff!" She called out warmly then landed on the ground, giving a bow to the ref who blinking in surprise. My opponent, some guy called Trent, smirked then burst out laughing.

"What do you intend to do with that little fluff ball, Charm your way into the finals? Ha!" He roared but I just folded my arms and glared at him as Jigglypuff inflated her body and gave him a similar expression.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to start kicking your butt in a battle now." I said to him but that only made him laugh harder.

"Fine! Feraligator, you're up!" Trent called and sent out his tall, powerhouse Pokémon who roared at Jigglypuff but she merely looked away with an unbothered expression. "Huh? You're meant to be afraid you little pipsqueak!" I smirked.

"Alright Jigglypuff, let's show them how we roll. Double Slap!" I began but Trent merely sniggered and chortled with laughter again, clutching his belly.

"Hydro Pump!" Feraligator opened its huge jaws and a powerful jet of water shot out but Jigglypuff was unfazed, facing it down and not moving an inch so I instantly felt calmer. Hey, if Jigglypuff wasn't bothered, then why should I be?

"Jigglypuff, inflate and jump out of the way, then use Sing!" I countered and Jigglypuff instantly carried out my commands, avoiding the Hydro Pump altogether then once she was high in the air, let out her breath with a sweet lullaby, letting Feraligator have a full blast of her charming voice which instantly sent him to sleep.

"No! Feraligator! Wake up!" Trent wailed, starting to cry as I placed a hand on my hip then tipped my hat in a salute.

"Jigglypuff, Ice Beam and then use Double Slap." I said to her and she instantly dove forwards, freezing Feraligator's entire body in an ice block but left his face free whereby she began to slap it repeatedly.

"Jigglypuff! Puff! Puff!" She growled then leaped back once she was finished, folding her arms proudly and looking away as Trent burst into tears, sobbing as Feraligator groaned.

"Feraligator is unable to battle! Jigglypuff is the winner!" The ref called so I punched the air.

"Yeah! That's awesome Jigglypuff. You finished them off without even breaking a sweat." I cheered as Jigglypuff leaped at me with a smile and we high fived in mid air.

"Jiggly!" She danced around in front of me, celebrating her newest victory so I smiled and picked her up, cuddling her close.

"People should learn not to judge based on appearance." I said with a pointed look to Trent who continued to cry like a little baby. Puh-lease. Now that's just pitiful. With a chuckle to myself I turned and walked out of the arena so that the next battle could take place, pitching Trent against someone else.

"That was great Ruby!" Ash said to me as I walked over to them all. "And you were awesome Jigglypuff, you can really pack a punch." He laughed as Jigglypuff nodded her head proudly in agreement.

"Jigglypuff."

"If you can just win your next two matches then you'll have a great chance of getting into the semis." Misty said. "And with your Pokémon, I know you'll do just fine."

"Yeah, your Pokémon really look up to you, so they battle hard because they trust you so much." Brock added and I hugged Jigglypuff tighter.

"Thanks guys. You're all the best."

"You know, that Jigglypuff really is something." A familiar voice said and I blinked before spinning around, my eyes widening in horror.

"Gary?!" Ash and I both yelped as we saw Gary leaning casually against the fence, looking down with a smirk on his face but then he stood up and walked over to us.

"Hi guys. Long time no see." He said with a nod to me. "Great battle Rubes. Exactly what I expect from someone who comes from Pallet Town." He said and I blushed, hiding my face in Jigglypuff's fur who blinked at me in surprise.

"Jiggly?"

"Thanks Gary, I didn't know you were watching." I mumbled before pulling myself together. "How are your matches going?"

"I won all three. No sweat. It was almost not worth turning up." He shrugged casually. "My team are all ready to go, we're going to win this competition without even batting an eyelid." Suddenly there was an ear wrenching giggle from behind and we all looked to see a girl with a frilly pink dress, big bows and a sadistic smirk on her face.

"My, aren't you quite the character?" Sophia giggled again as she gave a dreamy smile to Gary. "And very competitive too. I've been looking for a rival like you for a long time. What do you say? How about you and I have dinner tonight?" She suggested as she looped her arms around Gary who looked completely dumbfounded. My blood boiled way past a hundred degrees.

"Uh…"

"Get your slimy paws off of him!" I yelled without thinking and Jigglypuff glared at Sophia.

"Jigglypuff Puff!" She agreed and Sophia turned a victorious smirk on me.

"Jealous are we?" She asked and I backtracked slightly, going bright red in the face but shook my head.

"No! But even Gary doesn't deserve to be stuck with a lowlife brat like you. Why're you even here?" I tried to quickly change the conversation but Sophia only shrugged, sidling closer to Gary who stared at her, unsure of what to do.

"Oh nothing much…I just saw this handsome stranger and thought I'd say hello." She answered and fluttered her eyelashes up at Gary. Stupid Gary Oak, why isn't he pushing her away? She has to be contaminated with something! Like…oversized ego syndrome! "What about you? What are _you_ doing here? I thought you had to be good to enter these leagues." Sophia said to me and I blinked slightly.

"I…I am good. Good enough to earn eight badges." I glared at her.

"That's right." Misty said, stepping to my side. "Ruby won all her badges with the Pokémon she caught and raised herself. Not with a team bought by her rich daddy." Sophia gave a dramatic sigh, letting go of Gary's arm then tossed back her hair.

"Oh you poor thing, having to raise Pokémon so badly like you do. It's completely boring and I have no time for it." She smirked then turned around to Gary. "I'll be seeing you around soon, sugar." She said then rose up onto her heeled tip toes and kissed his cheek, lingering a moment, winked then turned around, but not before my patience snapped.

"That's it! Come here you little spoiled brat! I'm going to make sushi out of you!" I yelled, letting go of Jigglypuff as she leaped out my arms and together we tried to attack Sophia who merely laughed and walked away as Ash held back Jigglypuff and both Brock and Misty had to restrain me though we kicked and struggled all the way. "Get back here!"

"Jigglypuff!"

"Stop it you too, or you could be disqualified from competing!" That got my attention. Good call Brock, though next time it won't work.

"Argh! Stupid girl, thinks she's smarter and better than me with her fancy Pokémon and stupid pink ribbons…" I muttered under my breath as I stormed away with Jigglypuff following at my side, growling just as darkly as I was.

"Jigglypuff. Jiggly Jigglypuff." We took a long walk to clear out heads but I just couldn't get that Sophia out of my head. Something about her just set me off. Maybe it was the fact I knew she treated her Pokémon completely wrong.

With a sigh I sat by the fountain then picked up a Pokéball. "Come on out Vaporeon, the water is really nice here." I said and she appeared with a flash, sitting in the pool then instantly splashed around.

"Vaporeon! Poreon Poreon!" She cheered and began to dance and swim around in the water as I watched with a pensive smile, running my fingers through Jigglypuff's little curl as she sat in front of me.

"Jiggly…" She sighed sadly so I looked at her.

"Don't let that silly little dweeb get you down Jigglypuff." I said to her, forcing myself to brighten up. "We'll just ignore her. That way, we can focus on doing our best here, and when we defeat her in battle, _then_ we'll have a real victory to score against her." I reasoned and Jigglypuff instantly brightened, gasping then closed her eyes as she beamed.

"Jigglypuff!"

"Poreon?" Vaporeon questioned as she lifted her head out of the water.

"It's nothing Vaporeon." I promised. "Just a little lose ends to tie up." She nodded her head in understanding then licked the hand I was trailing in the water, shifting closer to I rubbed her head then chuckled. "It's all good."

The others left me alone for a while, deciding it best that I just cool off but they were there waiting for me at my next battle as I marched in with a smile. "Hey Ruby, are you okay?" Misty asked with concern but I merely laughed.

"I was born ready! Who dares challenge Ruby Bates to a battle?" I called then faced my opponent. It was a breeze after that. Vaporeon defeated a Quagsire and Pidgeot defeated a Kadabra, which meant three straight wins.

Feeling great about our success, we all celebrated with a feast and ice cream for dessert at our apartment which we were all staying in for the competition, however late at night, still unable to sleep, I got up, got dressed and went for a walk.

The moon was full and beautiful tonight, so I let out Latias as I knew she loved the moon and the stars. I knew she couldn't wait to be big and strong enough to go flying up there with them. I think she planned on actually trying to fly to the moon one day.

"Hey there Latias." I said softly as she circled around me then settled in her usual spot on my shoulder. "How about you come for a walk with me?" I suggested and she nodded her head.

"Latias." So I continued to walk, hands deep in my pockets as I watched the ground. "Latias? Latias La?" She worried, flying around to face me with a concerned expression, asking me what was wrong.

"I don't know. I just feel nervous I guess." But she persisted, making me chuckle. "I just can't hide anything from you, can I?" I joked softly so I sighed, looking down then up to the moon, taking a few steps towards the lake edge to listen to the waves lapping against the bank and gaze out across the glittering water. "I'm nervous. Scared even." I admitted finally and Latias listened. "The world just seems so big, and I'm only one person. There's a lot of people here with strong Pokémon wanting to become a champion, and I'm only doing it so I can get closer to my Pokémon." I continued to gaze up at the moon, admiring its perfect and serene beauty.

Latias nudged my cheek, urging me to continue. "But I'm starting to realise that it's not the winning that brings you closer to your Pokémon. The bod depends on who you are and how much you love your friends. And you guys are all my friends." I said, starting to smile. "But it just really gets me down when I see other people missing out on such a great experience such as raising a Pokémon and becoming its greatest friend it could ever have."

"Latias…" She cooed in understanding, nodding my head so I gave a laugh then caught her in my arms, tickling her belly to make her squeal.

"Stop it you, you're growing up too fast. You're not meant to be this smart until you're at least too big to carry." I teased before letting Latias go then sat down as she flew over the water, soaring up into the sky in a loop then landed in my lap, curling up to watch the stars with me. "You know Latias, I never asked you how you got to be in Kanto as an egg." I said to her, looking down as she turned her sweet little face up to me. "Do you have any idea?" I asked and she nodded her head.

Suddenly my mind was filled with the image of darkness, however I could hear the truck's engine as it moved. So Latias had been transported here to be sold, taken from her nest before she could really understand what was happening. After that the truck got blown off the road in a storm and the egg was lost in the woods, but then it was picked up by a Pidgeotto and carried to the forest where Professor Oak did some of his research, and that's where Latias was kept in a new nest with the Pidgeotto, however the next storm blew everything away, which was then where I came in.

"Wow, you've had it rough." I said then hugged her. "But don't worry. I'll always be here for you. You and I are a team now, which means we'll look out for one another."

"Latias!" She agreed with a smile so I chuckled before lifting up her Pokéball.

"But right now young lady, I think it's time you got back to sleep. It's getting late." I said and she nodded her head, allowing me to return her to her Pokéball. With a yawn I stood up and stretched, giving one last smile up at the moon and turned to leave, but as I did so something caught my eye.

Two people were walking towards me, and as they got closer, I could see who they were. That lowlife Sophia and backstabber Gary Oaks, taking a moonlit stroll together. How romantic. Though I couldn't help but notice how much it hurt to see them together like that. I thought Gary was better than that. Obviously I was wrong.

When they both looked up and noticed me, I blinked and quickly looked away, clenching my jaw as the water glittered before me, showing my less than appealed reflection of a tired, messy and frumpy looking girl. Great, even the world is against me. Well forget them. I don't need either of them. I'm going to bed.

"Hey Rubes!" Gary tried to call out and move towards me but Sophia clung onto his arm, stopping him from moving and he didn't fight back. I shot him a glare then walked away, lifting my head proudly. "Rubes, wait!" But I ignored him. Why should I wait? There's a trophy with my name written on it, and I'm going to _win_ it.


	45. Chapter 45

"We'll be up in the stands rooting for you both." Brock assured us as Ash and I were waiting to go out for the opening ceremony.

"I'll be sure to wave my arms like this so you can see where I am." Ash said, spreading out his arms and waving them madly, making me take a step back to avoid being hit by his goofing.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find you Ash, you don't need to flap." Misty assured him, lifting my camera then took a photo as I quickly slung my arm around Ash's neck and winked with a victory sign as Ash laughed, Pikachu jumping up to join the picture as Misty snapped it up quickly. "And I'll be sure to take lots of photos for you Ruby."

"Thanks Misty, it's got a full battery and I've emptied the memory store onto the computer, so you shouldn't have any problems." I told her then looked up as a voice came on the loudspeaker, telling us to form a line ready for the ceremony. "Come on Ash, let's go!" I beamed as I grabbed his wrist then dragged him away, Pikachu bounding after us as I laughed excitedly.

After thinking things over last night, I decided to simply not let Gary or Sophia bother me. I need to focus on doing my best here, and that's exactly what I'm going to do! Now that Ash and I were waiting in line, I couldn't help but feel tingly all over with anticipation.

"Is this how you felt for your first champion league?" I asked Ash who gave me a smile.

"I still do. You might feel nervous, but it's exciting as well. The opening ceremony is great and everyone will be watching! So make sure you don't trip over, because everyone will see." I smacked him playfully on the back of the head.

"I'm not the one likely to fall over, genius." I answered then lifted my head as everyone began to move. The stadium was huge! It totally took my breath away. The crowds all cheered and clapped loudly as everyone walked out, waving and smiling and I gulped nervously, wishing I could hug one of my Pokémon but then when I saw Ash and how happy he and Pikachu looked, I relaxed and began to smile too, lifting my hand to wave.

We all made our way to the stage and stood before it as the torch was carried to the top and the flame was lit, signifying the official beginning of the competition. "Skillfull and excited trainers, now that the Ho-oh sacred flame is watching over you, battle with honesty, integrity and honour!" Mr Goodshow spoke to us all with a smile. "So that you may never regret a single moment of your time here!" I'll salute to that! I can't wait to get started!

* * *

With my opponents all selected, I set to work on mentally preparing myself and my Pokémon for the battle. I found a quiet little grove and let everyone out for a meditation session, though Latias sat in my lap and simply relaxed, a little too young to be thinking about deep inner control and peace.

After about fifteen minutes, I began to play for them all, knowing it was a great way to relax my Pokémon and they all loved my tunes. Jigglypuff and Dragonair even sang along with me, creating a perfect blend of melody and harmony which could calm even the temper of a Gyarados.

"My, what a freak show." Sophia noted and I stopped playing, clenching the flute tightly then took a deep breath, not opening my eyes. Just ignore her. She doesn't exist. Imagine her being sucked into a large black hole…along with that stupid dress and big ribbons…never to be seen again. "What are you even doing? This isn't training, this is just lazing around being pathetic." She said as she walked closer and as Charizard began to growl I reached out and told him to stay calm, so he huffed and closed his eyes, blocking Sophia out as we all returned to meditating.

"Though I suppose freak suits you. Gary told me all about your little aura thing and how Latias is a legendary Pokémon. Now I want it all the more, so you might as well give it up, though my daddy promises he'll buy it for me." She said and Latias lifted her head with a soft whine but I merely rested my hand on her body and she was once again calm. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

She racked her knuckles on my forehead but I didn't give any response. "Gary also told me all about your special little plan to save Pokémon. I think my daddy will make you an offer you can't refuse. He'll fund all of your little dreams in exchange for your Latias. That way you can set up that pathetic little shack you've always wanted and everyone's happy."

It took a lot not to retaliate, but remain quiet and calm I did. Somehow. "You're being very rude. Pay attention to me!" Sophia whined, stamping her foot and I smirked ever so slightly. "Fine. Be that way. I'll just tell you all about what happened with Gary and our moonlit walks." She decided, sitting in front of me. "Well, you see, we talked a lot about each other, so I guess I now know him better than his own mother, seeing as he told me things not even his dear mother knows, like things that happened on his journey and stuff like that. We also held hands. He has such soft skin, and I love running my fingers through his hair."

The mental images were not welcome and were impending on my meditation session. Maybe I should just tell Jigglypuff to use Pound and then Charizard to give her a warm send off. Or a hot one. His choice. "We watched the moon and snuggled close together to keep warm and he told me I was the most beautiful girl he'd ever met. He may have mentioned how irritating and whiny you are at some point but I can't remember. Oh and we kissed, but I don't think that detail is important." Okay, that does it!

"You'd better leave me alone or I'll tell all of my Pokémon to pound your miserable butt right now." I warned her and she smirked in satisfaction, knowing she'd broken through my hard exterior.

"Yeah whatever. I'll just get all of _my_ Pokémon to beat all of yours as easy as if they were babies." She answered, tossing back her hair dramatically. "But I didn't come here to tell you about all those _amazing_ moments I've spent with Gary, I'm here to tell you to give up, because you're not going anywhere here. You might as well just go home to your mommy and cry."

"Wow." I answered, my eyes still closed as I remained in my meditative position. "Gary must have really hated your company if it was only a few moments." That set Sophia off, making her growl angrily.

"I'm saying that you're just a pathetic peasant and there's no chance of you beating me! My Pokémon are all trained to be ruthless, merciless and powerful battlers. Your Pokémon had better hope we decide to go easy on you, otherwise your pathetic little wimps won't even last a second against us. There'll be some serious injuries for sure." That got my attention. What was she planning?

I heard her walk away so I leaped up and glared after her, holding Latias in my arms as she too glared after Sophia, her pretty dress swaying with the movement of her attention seeking walk. But then I blinked. Hurt my Pokémon? Could I really ask them to battle against her when all she wants is to win, and isn't afraid to do whatever to get there?

Charizard growled then rubbed his head against me gently as everyone else all hugged my legs or nuzzled my face, trying to comfort me. "Guys? You're saying you'll battle no matter what?" I asked and they all nodded their heads, making me smile. "Alright then, let's win this!"

So after some quick special training, I went back into the Pokémon centre to meet with the gang before our first round matchups. I was in the B group, putting me against two boys, though one was a lot older than I was. I'd already looked up all their Pokémon and decided on my best three picks to match up again them.

I'd chosen Charizard for firepower, Jigglypuff for strategy and I'd even asked Professor Oak to transfer my Scyther for speed. With all that combined, there was no way anyone was beating me and it looked like all my careful planning worked.

Together we punched a hole through the first opponent and with the last one, finished him off with Scyther's Fury Cutter against the Exeggutor with a final knock out, the other guy losing all his Pokémon and mine were all still ready and fit to battle. A straight double win for me, which means I'm straight on through to the next round.

"Alright, you were amazing Scyther!" I cheered, laughing as I ran over and Scyther flew over to me.

"Scyther! Scyther!" He cheered also then lifted me up, making me squeal as I was tossed into the air and caught again repeatedly by Scyther, who had been quite clingy ever since Professor Oak transferred him over. Guess he'd missed me! Maybe I should ask for him to send over Ivysaur as well. I missed the big guy.

With my battles all done and out the way, that meant it was only Ash to go. He'd transferred his Kingler over for the battle, deciding that he'd need extra water types for his battle round against this girl called Macey who'd developed a crush on Ash, making Misty extra jealous.

Apparently she was a fire type specialist, so all Ash had to do was knock them all out with water type moves and he'll sail through to the next round. "Go Kingler!" He called, letting his Kingler out for some fresh air. "Hey there buddy, it's been a long time." Ah greeted, crouching down to Kingler's height. "What do you say we go warm up for the match, huh?" Kingler instantly began to hammer his large pincers onto the ground, signalling he was born ready.

"Oh no! Someone help me!" A voice yelled and we all spun around to see three Voltorb rolling uncontrollably down the hill without any intent of stopping, not that they could that is.

"Now Kingler, grab them!" Ash yelled.

"No Ash! Kingler is…a water type." I reminded him a little too late and as Kingler bravely caught the three Voltorb, he was zapped by a triple charge Thunderbolt, knocking him clean out. "Hurry! Get Kingler to the Pokémon Centre!"

We ran all the way and one of the many Nurse Joys' did a full check-up. "Nurse Joy, my Kingler is…"

"Your Kingler will be just fine, but I'm afraid there'll be no battling today." She ruled and Ash's face fell. This is bad. How is Ash meant to battle Macey now? He had been relying on Kingler's experience and power to help him win.

"That's just great." Ash said despondently as he left Kingler in Nurse Joy's care and sat down on a bench outside. "Now what am I supposed to do?"

"I guess you're going to have to make do with Totodile Ash, it's your only water Pokémon." Misty said to him gently, realising how put out Ash must have been feeling. Suddenly we heard the low rumble of a motorcycle and we looked up to see Officer Jenny riding towards us.

"Hello Ash! Hello Misty, Ruby! Hello Brock!" She called out and Ash stood up as we blinked in shock.

"Officer Jenny?" We all chorused. But wait, which one is she? We've met loads of Officer Jenny's! She came to a halt just in front of us then something leaped out of the sidecar, wearing cool looking shades.

"Squirtle!" Our favourite little dude greeted before taking off the glasses. "Squirtle, Squirtle."

"Is that Squirtle?" Ashe blinked in disbelief. "It is! I can't believe it!" He laughed then instantly knelt down and gripped Squirtle's hands. "Hey buddy, how've you been?"

"Squirtle Squirrtle!" He replied and we all smiled. Looks like Ash's luck pulled through!

"But how on earth did Ash's Squirtle get here?" Misty asked as Officer Jenny walked towards us, having stood up her motorcycle safely off the path.

"When Squirtle saw Ash at the opening ceremonies, there was just no stopping it." She explained but then Brock lunged forwards and grabbed her hands.

"Every time I see your face there's just no stopping me!" He declared, making Jenny recoil in shock but Misty came to the rescue once again, grabbing Brock by the ear then began to march him away.

"Enough. Love is blind but you're _annoying_." She said as she took Brock away to cool down a little.

"This is great but what about its fire fighting with the Squirtle Squad?" Ash asked Jenny, stilling holding onto his Squirtle by the hands.

"The Squirtle Squad is doing so great, they all agreed that your Squirtle could take a little time off Ash." Officer Jenny told him and we all beamed.

"This is perfect Ash! You could hurry and change your entry to put Squirtle into your team." Brock said and Ash laughed before turning to his Squirtle.

"That okay with you Squirtle?"

"Squirt. Squirtle Squirt." He gave the thumbs up and Ash instantly leaped up and punched the air in celebration.

"Yeah! Look out Macey, because Ash Ketchum is coming your way and he's not going easy on anybody!" And with that he was running off with Squirtle and Pikachu to change his entries before it was too late.


	46. Chapter 46

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and focused again, wearing a deeply concentrating expression as I meditated my mind then thrust out my hands, trying to push my aura out as well but still with the same result. Nothing.

"Oh come on! Give me a break here!" I yelled, giving up and gripping my hair. "I did it before, so why not now?" I demanded a bush who just stared back at me. "I am not crazy for talking to a bush like you, _you're_ the one giving me the silent treatment." I told it stiffly, folding my arms and looking away.

"Uh…are you okay Rubes?" Gary asked, appearing from behind another set of bushes with his Umbreon at his heels. "I thought I heard you over here." I gave him a brief glance then turned my back.

"Yeah, why should _you_ care?" I asked simply, lifting my face up to signal I wasn't all that interested in talking to him.

"What's the matter Rubes? What's wrong?" He asked but I simply flicked out a hand.

"I'm fine. See you later." I made to walk away but one of my Pokéballs burst open. Oh come on, not now Vaporeon. But sure enough, when I turned around, both Umbreon and Vaporeon had leaped over to one another and were nuzzling one another in greeting. Gary gave a soft smile and I looked away, folding my arms and took a deep breath to keep cool.

"Well they seem to get along fine." Gary noted as he began to walk towards me, ignoring the dark look I have him and didn't stop until he was standing right in front of me. "Now what's been going on with you? Have you been letting Sophia get to you?"

"No." I bit back instantly. "She doesn't bother me. I'm just trying to get some private training done without anyone interrupting." Gary blinked then finally got the hint. His face became hard and stony as he took a step back.

"Fine. I get it." He said with a shrug. "Big deal. It's not like I care at all, you always get yourself into a mess without my help anyway, so I'll just let you get on with it." Gary turned around and began to walk away, hands in his pockets.

"I do not always mess things up! Sometimes its Ash's fault too you know!" I yelled after him, shaking my fist.

"Yeah, a likely story. You're probably the clumsy one leading him in to all the stupid spots and then _he's_ the one who has to save the day seeing as I'm not around to look out for you." He shot back, turning around partially to glare at me.

"I don't need _anyone_ to rescue me! Not now, not ever! Argh, you're so thick brained Gary!"

"And you don't have any brain at all." He returned easily, making my blood boil.

"You're a sour faced loser!"

"You're a foul tempered Gyarados on a good day and a bad smelling Muk on a bad one!"

"You're impossible."

"You're stubborn and unpredictable."

"At least _I_ have character."

"At least I can control my temper, Rubes." That does it. The final straw has snapped and my famous battle roar was now unleashed.

"ARGH! I HATE YOU GARY OAK!" Gary just stood there, watching me with an unreadable expression as I seethed, clenching my fists so tightly my knuckles turned white and I could feel my nails digging into my skin. Finally Gary looked away.

"Let's go Umbreon." He snapped and Umbreon blinked at him before looking at Vaporeon.

She turned and looked at me, taking in my stiff figure and clenched fists before turning back and nudging Umbreon gently, nodding her head then licked his cheek before walking back over to me. I watched Gary leave, glaring heatedly but the moment he was gone, I dropped to my knees and flung my arms around Vaporeon with a tiny sob.

"Why do I always screw things up?" I whined, holding onto her tightly as she tried to lick away my tears, which were few before I was able to control myself once more. "Sorry, I have no idea what just happened." I said with a deep breath then smiled to Vaporeon. "Come on, let's go get some ice cream. With Ash and I now proceeding forwards, I think it's about time we celebrated."

Vaporeon tilted her head to the side and gave me a disbelieving look but let it slide regardless, knowing that I was one of the most stubborn people of all time, so there was no way she was going to get me to act the way I was feeling, which was completely overwrought with distress. Though I'm not too sure why.

As I walked back along the path towards the Pokémon Centre, I noticed Ash's Squirtle and Bulbasaur facing down a Meganium and an Azumarill, all of them wearing angry faces before charging at one another. "Hey, what's the big idea?" I demanded and ran forwards as everyone gasped and quickly cleared out the way as the four Pokémon started to fight one another.

"Look out! Don't get involved!" Someone tried to tell me but I just shook them off.

"Vaporeon, help me separate them." I said and Vaporeon nodded her head before leaping over to Squirtle and Azumarill. "You two stop it right now!" I grunted, pushing my way between them then forced them apart. "This is not how Pokémon battling in the tournament should be behaving, you should all be ashamed of yourselves." I told them sternly as they all stopped fighting and looked at me. "The tournament is about proving your strengths in a fair battle, not this squabbling routine you've got going here. Now all of you, say that you're sorry to one another." I ordered but the two stranger Pokémon turned away so I clapped my hands. "Now." I ruled and they jumped at my harsh bark before lowering their heads.

"Bulba. Bulbasaur." Bulbasaur apologised first, sitting down and wearing a proud expression so I knelt down and rubbed his head.

"Good job Bulbasaur, now that's true sportsmanship. Squirtle? Is there anything you want to say?" I asked slowly and Squirtle folded his arms and looked away.

"Squirtle."

"Come on. I know you want to say it." I teased lightly as Vaporeon gently nudged his head.

"Vaporeon, Poreon Vaporeon." She told him then looked at the Azumarill who glared at her.

"Azumarill." She grumped then stuck out her tongue at Squirtle who instantly glared then tried to leap at the rude Azumarill but I grabbed him and held him back.

"Mega. Mega Meganium." The Meganium said to Azumarill then gave a respectful nod to Bulbasaur as the Azumarill hung its head. "Mega."

"Azumarill." They both apologised so I looked pointedly down at Squirtle.

"Well?"

"Squirt." Squirtle apologised finally so I pull him down and sat with them all.

"Now what was all this arguing about?" I asked so Bulbasaur pointed to the apples up in the tree. "Apples? But there are plenty up there for everyone. Why would you fight over a single apple? Surely you're all bigger than that." I said as I rubbed Bulbasaur's head and let Vaporeon climb into my lap to curl up. "There are many young children and other Pokémon watching, you know. I'm sure you all want to set an example."

"Ruby! What's going on? We heard there was a fight." Ash called as he and the others ran over along with some new guy who instantly went over to Meganium and Azumarill.

"Are you two okay? What happened?" Oh, so he must be their trainer. Wait a sec, isn't that Jackson? The guy that Ash is going to be battling next? Uh oh. Good thing Vaporeon and I stopped this fight before things got real nasty.

"It's okay. I think your Pokémon are just a little hungry." I said simply as I stood up with Vaporeon in my arms. "Bulbasaur, how about you and Meganium grab a couple of apples for everybody?" I suggested and Bulbasaur nodded his head.

"Bulbasaur!" He looked up and began to grab down apples, handing one to Squirtle and the other to Azumarill who took it with surprise. "Bulba."

"Mega? Meganium?" Meganium blinked then smiled, reaching up with its own vines and grabbed a couple more apples. Before you knew it, they were handing out apples to all the Pokémon in the square happily, both the water type Pokémon also giving them a hand.

"So…they were fighting because they were hungry?" Jackson summarised and I nodded my head.

"Uh huh. You should see Ash when's he's running on an empty stomach. He's grouchier than a Snorlax that woke up on the wrong side of the cave. Your Pokémon were just a little too hungry to think about their manners." I explained as Vaporeon jumped out of my arms and walked over to Meganium.

"Vaporeon?"

"Mega!" Meganium smiled then picked her a fresh apple from the tree and handed it to her, making her smile before she took it and sat down to set to work on munching away.

"Gee, thanks. If it weren't for you, we'd have a Pokémon riot on our hands." Jackson said to me.

"No problem. Just make sure you keep an eye on your Pokémon at all times. It's your responsibility as their trainer to make sure they behave and that they're safe." I gave a little chuckle then sat down in front of the tree, leaning back to enjoy the sun with all the Pokémon, who were now all at peace and at ease with one another, though I could see a rivalry sparking between Meganium and Bulbasaur. Looks like they're battle together will be one to remember.

* * *

And one to remember, it was. It was an awesome battle. With Pikachu being knocked out by Magneton after he defeated Azumarill, and Cyndaquil being defeated by Magneton as well, it rested on Bulbasaur for the final stretch.

Bulbasaur put up a great fight, taking out Magneton and then battling Meganium in what must have been the grass type match up battle of the century. It was totally intense! I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through and even as both Pokémon knocked each other out, I still couldn't believe my eyes. That was some fire cracking grass power! Sweet! I almost forgot to take any photos for Ash I was so focused, but hey. A habit can be pretty hard to kill, you can be sure I got plenty.

"Ash! That was so great!" I laughed as he walked towards us. "You and Bulbasaur were like you've never been apart, it was totally amazing!" Flinging my arms around Ash I gave him a big hug, startling him slightly but I didn't hang on for too long.

"Thanks Ruby. You know what that means? Both you and I get to go on to the next part of the tournament!" We high fived one another with a cheer as Misty and Brock both congratulated Ash. I turned to Jackson, who was hanging his head sadly so I reached out and touched his shoulder.

"Hey, you should be happy! Your Meganium is one of the most incredible Pokémon I've ever seen, and your Magneton is something you should be proud of too. You put up a really tough fight and that's nothing to be ashamed of." I told him. "There's always next time, and until then, you're only going to grow stronger and better!"

"You're right Ruby. Thanks! I should be proud of my Pokémon. I _am_ proud." He said, lifting up Meganium's Pokéball with a soft smile. "And I promise that next time, things will be different." So with Jackson once again happy, we all headed back to the Pokémon Centre to see who our matchups for the next round was.

To our horror, it was not good pairings. Ash was against Gary. But me? Oh no. It was much worse. Much, _much_ worse.

I was going to battle against Sophia.

* * *

"Just take deep breaths, everything is going to be okay. There's no need to be so stressed over this battle." Misty said to me as I continued to pace the room.

"Stressed? I'm not stressed. Who says I'm stressed? Do you think I'm stressed? No of course I'm not stressed I'm as stressed as a stress free Clefairy." I ranted back, stomping my feet angrily on the ground. "Fire, steel, electric, dragon, psychic...fire, steel, electric, dragon, psychic." I muttered over and over in my head.

"Uh…what's she doing?" Ash asked as he, Brock and Misty watched as I paced.

"She's going over all the Pokémon types that Sophia has, trying to think of the best way to defeat them." Brock answered simply. "She's been pacing like that all night."

"All night?" Ash blinked in surprise. "But her battle is tomorrow. She can't compete like this."

"Yeah, but nothing we do seems to work. Not even Pidgeot can get her to snap out of it." Misty answered as I continued to think things over. Sophia is a vain little vixen, so maybe I should just blow her out of the sky with Charizard's awesome fire type moves. But wait, she could just use Ninetales to hit back or Alakazam to use its telekinetic powers to stop the fire. Argh! This is driving me crazy!

"Don't worry guys, leave this to me!" Ash suddenly said then pointed at me as I continued to pace, mumbling under my breath. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" He cried but Pikachu merely stared at him in shock.

"Pika?!"

"Do it Pikachu, we need to wake her up somehow." Ash said so Pikachu gulped, gave a worried look then closed his eyes to send a shock at me. Suddenly the light flashed before my eyes and I cried out as electricity overwhelmed by body, making me leap up into the air with a shriek before it was all over in a flash.

"Thanks…Pikachu…" I groaned before falling flat on my face.

"Pikachu! Pika Pika!" Pikachu raced over to me with everyone else who all crouched down around me.

"Ruby? Are you alright?"

"No! I'm not alright! Sophia is mean and I don't like her!" I wailed, my voice muffled by the carpet. "She's right, I'm totally a loser. I can't even get my own head to think straight!"

"You're not a loser Ruby, don't say that." I heard Misty say to me softly as Togepi gently shook my arm.

"Toge-Togepriii!" She chirped so I swallowed the lump in my throat then sat up, giving everyone a smile.

"I'm sorry, I guess I just don't have a lid on things." They all smiled at me.

"That's okay, it's what we're here for." Brock said to me gently and I instantly felt overwhelmingly grateful to him.

"It's your first big competition, it's no wonder you're nervous." Ash told me. "I felt exactly the same way, but all you've got to do is believe in your Pokémon and everything will be alright." Giving a weak smile I reached out and very gently tapped his shoulder with my fist in a playful punch.

"Thanks genius." We all stood up and I yawned, suddenly feeling tired.

"How about you go get some rest whilst we let you have some privacy." Misty said. "I think some alone time with your Pokémon might be just the therapy you need to get into the fighting spirit again."

"Great idea Misty. I'll just go and have a nap." I yawned then drifted off to bed. Turns out my nap turned into a full day of sleep and I woke up late in the night when I heard one of my Pokéballs opened and a door creaking as it was brushed open. "Huh?" I saw the end of a tail slip out of the door so I quickly threw on my jacket, grabbed my belt then followed after Vaporeon.

She led me outside into the open where the stars twinkled brightly. Vaporeon slipped along the shadows, trying to keep out of sight but when she trotted towards some bushes, I finally announced myself. "Vaporeon? Where are you going?" She froze in place then hung her head, giving a soft whine as she turned around to face me as I walked forwards then knelt down before her. "It's okay, I'm not angry, you just scared me that's all."

"Poreon." She said to me then pressed her head into my hand, closing her eyes and instantly I was flooded with feelings, impressions and emotions, some of them blurring into thoughts which I deciphered carefully until I had the full picture in my head.

"You're going to meet Umbreon? Is that it?" I turned to look at her as she hung her head even lower so I smiled affectionately then lifted her up into my lap, resting my hand on her back. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not angry about that either. I know Gary and I may not see to eye to eye, but that doesn't mean you and Umbreon can't be happy together." I told her softly and she looked up at me hopefully.

"Vaporeon?"

"So, you've been sneaking out every night since we both got here have you? That's not very good of you Vaporeon, you should always tell me if you're going somewhere and who you're going with, I could have woken up to find you missing and then I'd have the entire police force searching for you." I hugged her tightly, burying my face into her soft scales. "Don't ever frighten me like this, I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you." I said, sniffing slightly as a tear rolled down my cheek.

I put Vaporeon down then gave her a weak smile as I noticed Umbreon step through the bushes, freezing slightly in place but I merely gave him a smile too. "Now, I want both of you to behave. No trouble causing and Vaporeon, I want you back before midnight. You got that?" I said to her and she nodded her head, rubbing against my legs before bounding over to Umbreon who licked her cheek in greeting. "Stay safe." I murmured quietly as they slipped away for a moonlight walk together before turning and going back to bed.

I didn't sleep again until I heard Vaporeon slip back into my room, however instead of returning to her Pokéball, she jumped up and joined Latias and I on the bed, curling up and I smiled as I smelled her familiar scent, warm and comforting before finally slipping into a dreamless sleep.


	47. Chapter 47

Okay, so I needed a full party of six to battle against Sophia. This should be a no brainer. Pidgeot is my oldest companion and one of my fastest Pokémon, so she'll be great to use in the battle. Charizard has awesome strength and endurance, as well as a mean Flamethrower, so he's in as well. When it comes to strategy, I think sending Pokémon to sleep with Jigglypuff just about tops is all off. For extra speed and also evasiveness, I choose Scyther, and lastly, of course, it's Dragonair and Vaporeon for a variety of types. I can't go wrong.

Plus, since Professor Oak arrived yesterday with Delia and brought Ivysaur along with him, I have extra people to cheer for me. Ivysaur was so happy to see me that he'd wrapped his vines around my waist and wouldn't let go all day, keeping close to my side so I simply let him stick to me. Hey, I'd missed him too.

Now with all this in consideration, there was no way I could lose! I just wish my parents were here, but they were stuck in another region for a work conference and they couldn't get away, though they'd sent me loads of good luck gifts to try and make up for it, but it just wasn't the same.

"Ivysaur?" My green friend questioned as he noticed my sudden drop in mood so I chuckled and smiled.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about my parents, that's all. I haven't seen them in a long time and they're always so busy ever since dad got that promotion." I told him as I sat by the lake, just the two of us together. "We were always a close family, but now it feels like we're all being pulled apart."

"Ivysaur, Saur." Ivysaur told me then tickled my cheek with one of his vines, making me giggle and hug him closer.

"Thanks buddy, I needed that."

"You're going to need a lot more than that overgrown weed to defeat me." Sophia announced her presence and I instantly groaned. What does she want now? More trash talk? "But of course, what else can I expect from someone who has no chance in a prestigious competition like this?"

"Go fix your hair or something. I can see a strand out of place." I snipped at her and she instantly patted her hair, making sure it was all neat and tidy before rolling her eyes at me.

"Very funny."

"Yes, I thought so too." I put in before she could continue, standing up straight to turn and look at her. "And for the record, I don't care what you say to me. I am not going to let a kid like you, spoiled from birth, treat me like I'm worth nothing more than the dirt on your shoe."

"Suar." Ivysaur nodded his head in agreement, standing at my side but Sophia merely flicked out a lazy hand.

"Whatever. I just came to tell you that Gary and I are now official. Isn't that great? I knew it was meant to be." Oh she is so asking for it.

"Ivysaur, let's go. I think Brock said something about waffles for when we got home." I turned and began to walk away, but Sophia wasn't done yet.

"There's no chance you'll win, I'm going to knock you out of the competition before you can even say 'boo'! You might as well give up now. Apparently that's all you've ever done, like when you gave up your badges, and the time you let your Charizard go because it didn't want you, and now with this competition. And one day, in the future, you're going to look at your pathetic, washed out dream of saving the Pokémon, or whatever, and just _give_ up on that too."

"Stop it!" I yelled, clapping my hands over my ears. "Just stop it! I'm not listening to you!" I began to run, keeping my eyes closed but in doing so, lost my footing and slipped over the side of a ridge and fell into a surprisingly deep part of the lake.

I gasped and almost swallowed a mouthful of water but I clamped my lips tightly together then kicked for the surface, breaking free and quickly scrambled for the edge, shivering from the cold but then Sophia's cold and malicious laughter rang in my ears.

Staring up at her my eyes began to water, burning hot in contrast with the cold of the lake water. All my walls crumbled and I turned my head away, trying to pull myself out of the lake but gentle vines wrapped around my waist and lifted me out, turning me to face a worried looking Ivysaur who nuzzled up against me.

Unable to hold it back, I began to cry quietly, holding him close as Sophia continued to laugh and I ran away from it, not wanting to hear anymore. I can't do it. I can't face her now, not after that! That was the most embarrassing thing I've ever done. How can I ever face her in a battle after she's seen me so humiliated?

"Ivysaur! Saur Saur!" Sniffing as I sat down on a park bench I wiped my tears away though it did little use to get rid of all the water.

"I'm okay." I assured him, giving a weak smile. "I'm just clumsy. Remember?" I said and he jumped up onto the bench with me, sidling closer until he was standing on my lap and licking my face, drying to help me dry off but when I curled my arms around him and held him tight, he just rubbed his head against mine and I drew all the comfort I could from him. I'm going to need it now.

* * *

Facing Sophia as she smirked, wearing her hair down with only one pink ribbon at the back of her head so that her blonde waves rippled on the light breeze and her new dress was even prettier than the last one, mainly white with a pink sash around her waist and more pink frills along every hem. It certainly looked expensive.

"Welcome folks, to this final battle on a bright and sunny day such as this. Our challengers are Sophia Winthrop from Fuchsia City in Kanto, and Ruby Bates from Pallet Town, also in Kanto! Quite a standoff here, with the honour of their region riding on their shoulders, let's see how these lovely young ladies battle together. First we'll see what battlefield they'll be working with. There's a chance of either a rock, ice, grass or water field, which one will it be?" I turned and watched the dial spin, but what was unnerving was the fact that Sophia never took her eyes off me for one second. "It's a water field! And who gets the first move?" After a few moments the dial spun again, landing on my colour, meaning I had to choose my Pokémon first.

The field split apart, rolling back several levels to then lift up the water field, a large tank with a couple of platforms which floated unsteadily on the rippling water. I'll have to do something about that for Scyther and Jigglypuff, seeing as they rely on a sturdy ground to move. In that case, it's a clear choice who I need first.

"Jigglypuff, it's show time!" I called and she appeared with a twirl, giving a bright smile for the crowds who all instantly cheered. Jigglypuff's eyes widened as she looked around at the number of people who had come to watch her battle.

"Puff? Jiggly…puff…" She gasped and I allowed myself a little smile and chuckle. I need to be tough like Jigglypuff. She wouldn't have let anything that spoiled brat said hurt her feelings. I'm just being stupid. Get a _grip_ Ruby, this battle is important!

"A Jigglypuff, how wonderfully boring. In that case, I'll use my dear Alakazam. Sweetie, it's time to battle!" Sophia called and her Alakazam appeared with a battle pose, striking it fearlessly but Jigglypuff merely growled under her breath.

"Puff Jigglypuff Puff." Yeah you tell 'em Jigglypuff. We're not scared of them!

"Begin!" The ref called so I pointed to the battlefield.

"Jigglypuff, use Ice Beam to make a sturdier battleground!" I directed so Jigglypuff inflated her body and floated up into the air, aiming at the water then blasted it with Ice Beam, glazing over the water's surface, circled around the floats and even left some holes free in a clever quick escape for any of my other Pokémon. Good girl!

"Jiggly!" She called then landed on one of the floats which was now anchored securely in place.

"Typical. What a waste of a move. Alakazam, use Psychic!" Sophia ordered with a clap of her hands and Alakazam instantly began its attack. With glowing eyes it lifted Jigglypuff off the ground, making her blink in surprise.

"Jiggly?" Then she began to kick and struggle in anger. "Jigglypuff Puff! Puff Puff Jigglypuff!"

"Stay calm Jigglypuff, it's alright." I called up to her.

"Bring that fluff ball in closer Alakazam, then use Hyper Beam." Sophia sighed with a bored tone, looking at her nails to inspect them, not even looking at the battle. The nerve of that girl! She's not even paying attention! Fine, I'll give her something to maul over.

"Jigglypuff, Ice Beam let's go!" I called and Jigglypuff instantly blasted Alakazam full in the face with her attack, breaking the Psychic hold over her body and she dropped down towards the part of the water field uncovered with ice. "Inflate!" She sucked in a deep breath and floated backwards, back to the safety of the ice.

"Alakazam, did I not tell you to use Hyper Beam? Do it already!" I heard Sophia snap and stomp her foot impatiently on the ground. "Now!" Alakazam flinched then quickly held out his two spoons, gathering energy between them.

"Jigglypuff, use Sing!" I quickly countered so Jigglypuff inhaled, closed her eyes and began to Sing for everybody. My eyes widened in horror as Alakazam continued its attack, blasting the Hyper Beam directly for Jigglypuff who stopped singing to see it coming for her then cried out in fear.

"Jiggly!"

"Dodge it!" But it was too late. "No! Jigglypuff!" I cried out then leaped up, stretching my hands high and caught her before she could hit the ground but it was all over. With one hit she had been completely eliminated. "Jigglypuff…"

"Jigglypuff is unable to battle. The round goes to Alakazam!" Thud. I blinked and looked up to see Alakazam fast asleep. Well, I've always said no one can ignore Jigglypuff's voice when she starts to sing.

"What are you doing you great lump? Get up! This is no time to be resting on the job! I said get _up_!" Once again Sophia stomped her foot, pouting angrily then returned Alakazam to its Pokéball. "Useless." I gave Sophia a hard glare as I also returned Jigglypuff to her ball.

"Thank you Jigglypuff." I told her simply before choosing my next Pokémon. "Pidgeot, I need you!" She flew out with a flourish, flapping her wings then glided over the battlefield, ready for my instruction.

"A flying type, in that case I choose my darling Jolteon!" Sophia called and with that, her angry looking Jolteon was next on the scene. Not good. Maybe I should switch out for a better type matchup? But what would be good against an electric type? "Jolteon, use Pin Missile!"

"Dodge it and use Air Slash!" I countered swiftly and Pidgeot instantly disappeared, spiralling around the attack then flapped her wings hard, the slashes through the air cutting through the water too and flew towards Jolteon.

"Jump my sweetie, then use Thunder!" Electricity crackled in Jolteon's spiked fur as it leaped up into the air with incredible power, making my jaw drop and my eyes widen as it avoided Pidgeot's attack and before I could recall her, struck with the most intense Thunder attack I had ever seen.

I turned my face away, unable to watch as the electricity pounded into Pidgeot and knocked her out with a single hit. Snap out of it Ruby, you're getting creamed! I returned Pidgeot with an apology at my awful timing then sent out my next Pokémon, Scyther. Maybe that'll even the odds.

"Jolteon sweetie pie, return! Go Scizor my treasure!" Sophia changed things up a little. Now if I'm right in thinking that both Scyther and Scizor are equally matched in power, speed and agility, this could be very interesting.

"Scyther, use Fury Attack!" I called and Scyther instantly flew forwards.

"Scizor, use Fury Attack as well!" Sophia retaliated and the two of them flew forwards. They both jabbed out with their attacks and avoided the other's, exchanging parries and counters until Scizor landed a powerful hit with its hammer like hands into Scyther.

"Scyther!" He cried out and I quickly spurred myself into motion.

"Scyther, use Double Team!" Instantly Scyther shook itself awake and surrounded Scizor with numerous copies of himself, making Scizor stop in its place and glance around.

"Don't be fooled my sweetie, use Metal Claw on them all!" Sophia told her Pokémon with a slightly angry edge to her tone. Without warning Scizor darted around with blinding speed, hitting all the fake Scyther's out of sight before finally landing a blow on the real Scyther.

"No! Scyther quick, use Slash!" I tried but Scyther was already knocked out of the battle. "What?! This can't be!" What is going on? That's three Pokémon already knocked out before I could even get things going. How can that be?

"And that is half time! Trainers may now take a short break before we resume this rather one sided battle." I shot the commentator a dark look. One sided? I'm trying my best out here!

"Ruby! You've got to stay focused." Ash said to me from the coach's box as I walked over. "You're letting Sophia get to you, just stay calm."

"Ash is right Ruby, you have to be fast." Brock added as he handed me a drink and I took it gratefully, downing it all in one gulp.

"You can do it Ruby." Misty finished with a confident smile and all the Pokémon began to cheer, making me blink before nodding my head. Fast. Okay. I can be fast. Once the break was over I returned to my box and after the flags gave the go for resuming the battle, I spurred into motion.

"Dragonair go! Fly out and knock Scizor into the water then use Thunderbolt!" I called and Dragonair instantly appeared with a mystical call. She flew towards Scizor as fast as she could and as it tried to dart away, whipped out her tail and slammed it against the Pokémon, stopping it from escaping then plunged it into the water. "Alright! Go Dragonair, give it all you got!"

Electricity filled the entire pool, crackling brightly until a bright burst of light exploded from beneath, making everyone gasp. Smoke poured over the water and Dragonair suddenly shot out from its depths, eyes narrowed in complete concentration as she looked down.

When the smoke cleared, Scizor floated in the pool, groaning but not moving. "And with a stunning comeback with Dragonair, Scizor is knocked out of the battle! Looks like Ruby might finally be back in this game considering the rocky start she had." I get the feeling that this commentator seems to have this battle already written out. I'll show him.

"Dragonair, now it's your turn!" Sophia trilled prettily. "Show them your gorgeous face!" Her Dragonair appeared and rose up into the sky, twisting and writhing in lucid movements, its body powerful looking and beautiful as everyone oohed in awe.

"You're way prettier." I said grumpily to Dragonair who turned a cute smile on me. "Okay, let's hit them with Ice Beam!"

"Dragonair my darling, Agility! And then Dragon Rage!" Sophia answered with a pretty flourish of her hand then began to check her face in the mirror, adding some powder to her cheeks and ignored the battle. That little brat!

"Dive under water Dragonair!" I countered and Dragonair dove down to escape but Sophia's Dragonair whipped out its tail and smacked Dragonair back, winding her as she cried out then with a red and bright yellow orb gathering at its mouth, fired its attack against Dragonair who took it full on.

"No! Dragonair!" I called as she began to fall but then she shook herself off then rose up again, angrily glaring at her opponent. "Awesome, that's the spirit! Now use Twister!" I called and she instantly whipped up the whirlwind, shooting it towards Sophia as she yawned and fluttered a hand in front of her mouth in mock modesty.

"Twister." She sighed, tapping a foot on the ground. "And hurry up with it." Her Dragonair launched its counterattack and the two of them collided, just like back in Blackthorn City, only this time my rival had much more power.

"Protect Dragonair!" I decided and Dragonair instantly shielded herself from the attack, forming a bubble around her which didn't shift until the Twister was gone.

"Dragonair, use…huh?" Sophia blinked, looking to her Pokémon as it began to glow. No. No please, not now! You can't evolve now! That's totally unfair! However no matter how much I pleaded, Dragonair still evolved into a Dragonite. A very _mean_ looking Dragonite. "Oh how delightful! A stunning Dragonite! Much better than a boring old Dragonair. Now my new darling, use Hyper Beam!" Sophia called and I blinked before shaking my head.

"Protect!" I yelled but as Dragonair tried to form the bubble, it cracked and disappeared, leaving her at the full blast of Dragonite's powerful attack and she was knocked out of the sky with a cry, landing heavily on the ground outside of the battlefield. "What happened? I don't understand." I blinked, beginning to tremble as the fear began to rise. What should I do?

"Go Ruby! You can do it!" Ash yelled as I returned Dragonair, holding back my shock.

"I'm sorry Dragonair, it was all my fault. I promise I'll make it up to you." I told her then looked to Dragonite. Alright. They want a show? I'll give them a show. "Charizard, I choose you!" With my powerhouse Pokémon now in play, things are going to be different. "Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" Sophia ordered, suddenly paying close attention, glaring heatedly at the battle. The two attacks collided and exploded at the centre so I moved quickly.

"Charizard, Fire Blast through the smoke!" Charizard instantly formed his most powerful attack, blasting a huge symbol at Dragonite who didn't have time to move and took the attack head on.

"Move it you useless Pokémon!" Sophia screeched. "Use Thunderbolt again!" Dragonite growled and struck out but Charizard flew up into the sky and dodged it but tin quick succession Dragonite charged up a Hyper Beam and struck Charizard out of the sky, making him roar as he fell.

"Charizard!" I gasped, clutching my hat tightly but at the last second, Charizard opened his wings and landed lightly on the ice, digging in his claws so that the ice began to crack a little. We both glared at our opponents who glared back, our rivalry starting to grow intolerably intense. "Charizard, I've made mistake after mistake today." I told him quietly, losing all tenseness as I simply looked at him and he turned to look at me. "I've let down our team and I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

In answer Charizard turned and lowered his head down to me, gently rubbing his head into me, letting me hug him tightly as the crowd all awed at our affectionate embrace. "Well folks, when things hit rock bottom, you turn to your Pokémon." The commentator mused almost pityingly but I ignored him, feeling a tear rise to my eyes.

"I've been trying to battle on my own without anyone's help when what I should have been doing is listening to you guys, letting you help me understand how best to battle in situations. So that's what we're now going to do. I'm going to let you take the lead and I'll help you. We'll battle together." I said and Charizard nodded his head determinedly, standing upright and turned to face Dragonite who sneered.

We both ignored them, closing our eyes and together, punched our fists together. A rush of energy flowed through me as my aura entwined with Charizard's, instantly replenishing all of my energy with a blazing passion for battling that only Charizard could have.

"Let the battle resume!" The ref called but I said nothing, remaining in position with Charizard as our thoughts and feelings became one.

"In that case, _I'll_ go first. Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" Sophia called and Dragonite instantly began to charge up his attack. Without even opening my eyes I relied on Charizard's vision to see what was going on.

Spreading my arms out elegantly Charizard spread his wings in unison with me, taking off and then leaned as I guided him, avoiding the attack and dived for Dragonite as I sliced a hand forwards. I didn't even need to speak, he heard every thought I had.

"Amazing! Trainer and Pokémon are so in sync that they're not even verbally communicating! How is Sophia going to handle this new challenge?"

"Dragonite, use Thunderbolt!" She yelled with a growl, stamping her foot several times but together in unison, Charizard and I came up with a solution. I flung my arms out to the side then pulled in my elbows tightly, clenching my fists and Charizard's body lit up with fire in an Inferno attack. I began to turn around gracefully, taking deep, even breaths as Charizard spun around and around, deflecting the Thunderbolt then ploughed into Dragonite.

I felt the surge of power and almost gasped from the intensity but controlled it, keeping my focus as Charizard pulled back, watching Dragonite hit the water. "Get up! Get up you useless Pokémon!" Sophia screeched and Dragonite struggled to its feet before flying upwards again with blinding speed.

Turning around in a circle again, Charizard spun with me. "Amazing! Ruby is actually somehow managing to guide Charizard's movements without even looking! What is going on?! This is unbelievable!"

"Hyper Beam!" Taking a deep breath I pushed out my arms with my hands lying flat then pushed them to the side. Charizard instantly used Fire Blast, letting it connect in the middle with the Hyper Beam but then I thrust a hand forwards, telling Charizard to dive through the smoke before I punched upwards.

A Slash attack struck Dragonite without anyone seeing it coming, throwing the dragon type further up in the air so I spun around for a flourishing finish before locking my arms around me. Seismic Toss.

Charizard grabbed onto a weak Dragonite and began to spiral overhead, gaining speed and momentum before charging for the ground. Quickly I made a flourished movement of my hand from my mouth and Charizard blasted the water with Flamethrower, causing it to separate and expose the bottom, allowing for a more powerful finish.

"Amazing! With an incredible comeback, Dragonite is now out of the battle!" I smiled to myself, finally opening my eyes then looked to Charizard as he roared to the sky, blasting another Flamethrower upwards in display of his power.

"Thank you Charizard." I said to him softly, feeling a little better now that he'd reminded me what it really felt like to battle as one with your Pokémon, though we had now taken it to new extremes.

"This is not fair!" Sophia wailed before growling sharply. "Fine. Ninetales! You had better not let me down!"

"Charizard, return for now. We're going to show Sophia the power of a water advantage over fire." I said and Charizard nodded his head, letting me return him to his Pokéball. "Go Vaporeon! Into the water!"

"Ninetales, blast the water with Flamethrower!" Sophia ordered, her eyes narrowed into slits and Ninetales instantly began to fire its hot flames at the water, making it steam and the level began to drop.

"Vaporeon, Hydro Pump!" I countered easily and Vaporeon leaped out of the water with a powerful slap of her tail before shooting up into the air, taking a deep breath before hitting Ninetales with a direct and powerful hit. "That's great Vaporeon!" I called with a smile as she landed on the ice easily, not losing a single paw step.

"Ninetales, Fire Blast!"

"Shadow Ball!" We began exchanging blows, the tension beginning to rise as both Pokémon sustained considerable damage, however Vaporeon more so as Ninetales began to go mad with power, blasting everything left right and centre, Vaporeon struggling to dodge it. "Okay Vaporeon, return!" I called, deciding it was too dangerous but before I could even reach for her Pokéball, Sophia had screamed aloud.

"Argh! Ninetales use Flamethrower!" Vaporeon was exhausted, too tired to even move and as she tried to move, her back legs gave out and she skidded on the ice, turning to stare in fear at the flames as they came roaring towards her. Without warning her aura rushed out and hit me, making me stumble back a step and I saw her bright aura surrounding her, however I saw something else. Two tiny specks of pure white light within her. No…that can't mean…

"No! Vaporeon!" I yelled in tight fear, my heart hammering wildly in my chest and without thinking, dove into the water after Vaporeon as she was knocked into the warm depths. I swam down, seeing her body settle on the bottom and she didn't move to get back up, so I grabbed her into my arms and kicked off the bottom, rising up to the surface with a gasp then pulled us both out as Vaporeon blinked up at me.

"Poreon?"

"Vaporeon…did you know?" I asked her and she shook her head, shivering slightly then licked my face, seeking my comfort so I hugged her tightly. "It's alright. It's over now." I told her softly. "We're finished here."

"Fire Blast, now!" Sophia suddenly screamed, stamping her foot one last time and Ninetales instantly attacked, making everyone in the stadium yell in fear as the attack went for me as well.

"Ruby look out!" Everyone yelled but my eyes only narrowed in rage. With a rush of speed I pushed Vaporeon behind me across the ice, letting her slide back and I rose to my feet with an angry roar. My hands thrust out and without even knowing how I did it, my aura burst forwards and formed a protective sphere before me, holding back the Fire Blast as it slammed against it.

I felt its power shake my shield as Vaporeon lifted her head, staring as I stood protectively in front of her. There's no way I'm going to let her get hurt any more now that I know. No, _way_. With a deep breath and burning hands I forced the Fire Blast to remain out of reach of us, keeping it at bay until finally it sizzled out and I dropped the shield, falling to my knees as my arms and hands burned from holding back such a powerful attack.

"Vaporeon!" My little friend cried then leaped over to me, jumping into my arms and I buried my face into her neck, taking a deep breath as everything around us remained silent. My head hurt and I felt exhausted, but it didn't matter.

Standing up I gave Sophia a hard glare, holding Vaporeon in my arms. She held my gaze, looking shocked for the first few seconds before she growled at me, clenching her fists tightly. I grabbed my necktie and unlashed it with sharp tug, flicking it out before tossing it up into the air.

"And the winner is Sophia Winthrop by TKO!" The ref called and I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I reached out and caught my necktie as it floated back down to the ground then smiled softly at Vaporeon who continued to blink at me.

"Come on. Let's go get some rest." I murmured then tucked her head into my shoulder as I walked away, not caring how many people stared at me, or how the silence continued to echo in my ears even as I walked out of the stadium.

It was a couple of moments until the others caught up with me, running to catch up. "Hey Ruby! What happened out there?" Ash called, waving to me to get my attention.

"Yeah Ruby, you could have been seriously hurt." Misty said as I turned to them with a smile. "And you lost your battle with Sophia because you eliminated yourself, why'd you do that?"

"Because I wasn't myself." I answered simply, sitting down on a bench with Vaporeon in my lap as I secured the neckerchief back around my neck. "I'd let down my Pokémon miserably, so there was no point in putting Charizard and Vaporeon through anymore battling, and because Vaporeon is actually going to be having eggs of her own soon." Everyone gasped, turning to look at Vaporeon who blushed sweetly. "Just before she got hit with that last Flamethrower, she reached out to me in her desperation and I saw two more auras with her. She's going to have eggs." I hugged her. "And that's better than winning any tournament. I'm so excited, I can't wait!"

"You mean it? Is Vaporeon really going to have little Eevees' running around soon? Oh how cute!" Misty beamed. "That's so great, congratulations Vaporeon, who's the daddy?" Vaporeon gave a blushing smile so I winked at her.

"I think that's going to stay our little secret for now."


	48. Chapter 48

With my Pokémon all rested and well again, I spent the rest of my time just playing with them, not worrying about Sophia or the tournament or Gary or anything of the kind. All I wanted now was to relax and just reassure my Pokémon that I still loved them despite our "apparently" humiliating defeat. According to Sophia that is.

"Alright, Ivysaur, you're up next!" I called, turning to him. "You ready to throw that ball as far as you can?" I questioned, tossing our tennis ball to him and he nodded his head, catching it easily then narrowed his eyes in concentration.

"Ivy…Saur!" He yelled, launching the ball high up into the air with his vine but the wind dragged it out over the lake, making me laugh as everyone either flew, swam or got a ride out there to try and get it.

"Nice throw Ivysaur, that's quite an arm you got there. Or vine." I joked and Ivysaur laughed with me as I sat down on the grass then lay back, placing my hands under my head. The others were off somewhere celebrating Ash's newest victory over Gary, one he was still having a hard time believing himself.

I'll admit, it had been an awesome battle, however seeing Gary's girl squad back on the cheering field had just made my stomach twist. Can't he ever just be a normal, non-vain human being? It was just as bad seeing Sophia there cheering him all the way. I even heard she tried to get her beloved daddy to persuade the people in charge of the competition that there had been a mistake and Ash had cheated, but he was unsuccessful. Looks like you can't get everything.

Ivysaur curled up beside me and I smiled, hearing the chime of his Soothe Bell as he moved and that mixed with the sweet smell of his sprouting bulb couldn't help but make anyone feel relaxed. This was all shattered when a very wet tennis ball was dropped onto my face by Jigglypuff who laughed as I yelled and sat bolt upright, wiping my face dry.

"Hey! No fair!" I told her with a grin. "I'll get you for that Jigglypuff!" Launching myself forwards I tried to grab her but Jigglypuff merely sprang out of the way, allowing me to fall to the ground again with a grunt. Ouch. Now that hurt my pride. She pointed and laughed at me again, making me giggle too as I couldn't help but see the funny side.

"Oh you like that do you? Well how about this. Ivysaur, use Tickle on Jigglypuff!" I called and Ivysaur instantly stretched out with his vines with a smile, using them to tickle Jigglypuff who fell onto her back and really began to laugh, kicking her feet and failing her arms as everyone else all smiled and giggled around me too.

Vaporeon lifted her head from where she had been relaxing under the shade of tree, gave a yawn and was about to settle back down again when her ears pricked up, signalling someone was getting closer but I was a little too busy wrestling with Scyther to notice.

"You're not going to get me so easily Scyther, I'll show you!" I laughed then began to push with all my might against Scyther who pushed back, careful of his blades but still, it was no competition. I went flying backwards then landed heavily on the ground, groaning. "Why do I always have to be the one to be pushed over?" I complained.

"I don't know. Maybe because you make it so easy." A voice replied sarcastically and instantly my eyes flew open to find the sun being blocked by Gary's head. What?! Gary?! What's he doing here?

"Gary!" I yelped and leaped to my feet as fast as I could, but in my haste tripped back over my own foot and cried out as my arms began to flail.

"Watch out!" Gary instantly reached out and grabbed my arm but I continued to fall regardless and he landed on top of me, pressing all the air from my lungs.

"Get…off…can't…breathe…." I rasped and Gary quickly moved to scramble away, especially seeing as Charizard and Scyther were both growling at him viciously, threatening to cut him up into squares and roast him on a skewer. Once I got my breath back I sat up and glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." He told me seriously as he stood up. "I don't like the way you've been acting and I want to know the reason for it." Folding his arms he didn't remove that serious expression he wore.

"What acting?" I demanded hotly, pulling myself up to my feet then looked over to Vaporeon and Umbreon who cuddled up together and Umbreon started to groom Vaporeon, treating with the utmost tender care and affection. Those two were so cute.

"Ever since you got here, you've been a grumpy and self-pitying drag. What's up with that? Was it something I said?" How can guys be so dense? Do I have to spell it out for him and draw little pictures too?

"You should go otherwise your girlfriend might start to get concerned about your safety." I told him, turning my back but then I heard his genuinely surprised tone.

"Girlfriend? What _are_ you talking about Rubes? You're making no sense." He told me so I turned around and folded my arms.

"Sophia Winthrop! You know, the girl you've had hanging off your arm since the moment you two met?" I tried to remind him but he just stared at me blankly. Then he laughed.

"She's not my girlfriend. She likes to think she is, but she's not." Gary told me then placed a hand on his waist. "Dear me Rubes, have you been jealous?"

"No!" The thought! How dare he think _I_ had been jealous? If anything I felt sorry for him! "No way! But you did spend all that time with her, and you told her all about me, everything from me initially giving up my first two badges, how could you? I thought we were friends." Gary blinked then stepped forwards with a gentle smile.

"We _are_ friends Rubes, I never said any of those things to hurt you. She just kept on asking me questions and it's pretty hard to say no to that girl when she wants something. Besides, once I started talking, everything just followed. I told her all about Ash too, not just you." Well gee, thanks. That's really comforting.

"You're an idiot Gary." I told him stubbornly, making him smirk.

"And you're impossible."

"You stink."

"You look like a Mr Mime who fell in a paint box." Good point, but unacceptable!

"You're a shrimp brained Weedle." Gary chuckled. He actually _chuckled_. "What's so funny?"

"Have you seen your hair recently?" He questioned and instantly my hands darted to my head to hide it but Gary stepped forwards and pulled them aside, exposing my messy locks. Charizard growled in warning but Gary bravely ignored him, reaching out then pulled my hairband out of the very loose ponytail it was beginning to slip free from, then ran my hair through his fingers once. "There. That's a little better I guess." What…is he doing? He's touching my hair!

"You walked with her." I blurted, making Gary arch an eyebrow. "I saw you. Remember? And Sophia told me in very specific detail all you talked about and about you holding hands and kissing. How is _that_ not being together, huh?" I challenged but Gary only smirked further.

"For someone who doesn't care, you're rather interested in our relationship, aren't you?" I rolled my eyes.

"I just consider you a traitor at the moment. That's all. I'm pulling out all the stocks to throw it against you." I defended then turned my back, lifting my nose high and Jigglypuff did the same, having come over to stand at my side and glare heartily up at Gary. Guess she didn't like him much at the moment either.

"Rubes, you know she was lying, right? I have enough sense to be able to tell she's bad news, you know." Lying? So…they didn't kiss? Not that I care of course, it's just that if he's contaminated with that little spoiled brat then I can't have anything more to do with him. "Is that a smile I see there?" I desperately tried to hide it behind a stone hard façade. "Come on…I know you want to forgive me for everything I didn't actually do wrong." He teased, poking me until I giggled as he found my ticklish spot in my side.

Turning around Gary reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear with a warm smile. "You know I'd never hurt your feelings like that Rubes. I'm just sorry I didn't realise what Sophia was doing to you sooner. It wasn't fair and you should have totally beaten her the other day." I shook my head, swallowing the nervous lump in my throat as I blushed a little and this strange warm and tingling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.

Unable to hold myself back I jumped up and flung my arms around Gary's neck, sniffling slightly as a tear of happiness dripped down my cheek, but Ivysaur reached out and brushed it away gently with one of his vines, so I mouthed a thank you to him as Gary held onto me tightly.

It was kind of relaxing and deeply comforting to grip onto him so securely, feeling his warm arms around me as if in promise they'd never let go. "I'm sorry Gary, for everything I said." I whispered to him and I felt him turn his head into me.

"I know." He answered. The cheek, he hasn't said sorry either! Well, he kind of did, so I guess I'll let it slide this once. "So it's still early. How about some ice cream?" He suggested as I pulled back but his arms didn't move from around my waist and mine stayed locked around his neck as I smiled up at him. "On me this time."

"You're on." I nodded my head then let go of him, giving a whistle to get everyone's attention. "You all behave yourselves now, I'll be back in a few minutes, okay? Umbreon, you keep a close eye on Vaporeon, she is not to do anything too strenuous, you got that?"

"Umbreon." He nodded his head then sat down protectively at Vaporeon's head, ears pricked up to listen for danger.

"Why's Vaporeon under such strict guard? Did she get hurt bad in the battle?" Gary asked but I shook my head as we began to walk over to the ice cream stand.

"No, she's just going to be having eggs soon, so I'm taking extra special care of her." I said and Gary blinked.

"Really?" He glanced back to Umbreon. "And Umbreon…"

"Yup. Congratulations Gary, you're going to be a grandpa!" I revealed brightly before grabbing Gary's hand and dragging him over to the stand. "Come on, I want chocolate!"

"…huh?"

* * *

I stood with Ash, Misty and Brock, all of us looking at Gary and a friend Ash had made in his last battle in the Silver Conference, Harrison. It was time we all parted ways, and I was kind of sad to say goodbye but I knew it wouldn't be long until we ran into Gary again. Our bumping into one another seemed to just be fate decided.

"I think I'll circle around Mt Silver then head back to Pallet Town." Gary said to us after Misty had asked him what his plans were.

"I'm headed over to the Indigo Plateau." Harrison added, smiling to us all.

"And we're going to stop in Viridian City first and _then_ go back to Pallet Town." Ash said but I smiled.

"I'm heading straight on. Apparently there's some important things Professor Oak wants to discuss with me as soon as possible in a…how did he describe it? A controlled environment." I smirked. "I'm guessing he's talking about my little stunt back in the competition."

"Well, I guess it's time we all said goodbye, huh." Misty said sadly so I reached out and hugged her and Togepi.

"Don't worry, this isn't forever. Just a short while." I told her with a shrug. "You can't keep best friends apart, it's just impossible."

"She's right. We'll all see each other again, and that's a promise." Brock said, resting a hand on my shoulder. "Now you take care of yourself and all your Pokémon. Remember that Latias needs to start being weaned off milk and onto solids now that's she's older, and you have to also feed _yourself_ , not just your Pokémon."

"I know Brock." I laughed, giving him a hug too. "I won't forget."

"See you Ruby, I'll miss ya." Ash grinned before giving me a high five.

"See you around genius. Don't do anything too stupid or get lost without me there to bail you out." I laughed then turned around with a wave. "Good bye! And good luck Harrison, I know you'll be great." I told him then walked off back down the path to the blimp port where I needed to catch the next ride to the port so I can return home to Kanto ahead of the others. Seeing as mom and dad had agreed with Professor Oak to pay for my ticket, it would be a lot faster that way.

I got down the path and was about to enter the airport when I heard someone calling out my name. Or at least, my nicknane. "Hey Rubes! Wait a sec!" Gary called and I turned around.

"Gary? What's wrong?" I asked as he stopped in front of me. He gave a smirk.

"You never argue about me calling you Rubes anymore." He noted and I arched an eyebrow.

" _That's_ why you ran all the way back here? To tell me some things are just not worth fighting over?" Gary gave a shrug then shook his head.

"No, I came to give you this." He pulled something out of his bag and held it out to me. It was a small black velvet box. "I felt kind of bad how things went for you, so I found this and thought it might cheer you up." Tentatively I reached out and picked it up, almost scared to open it. It's not going to explode in my face as some kind of joke, is it?

"What is it?" I asked which only made Gary smile.

"You're supposed to open it, Rubes. Or shall I do it for you?" He reached out to take it back but I moved my hands away with a sound of protest then slowly lifted the lid, peering inside. What I found was a beautiful silver chain with a tiny pendant of a creasent moon with a small star, the pendant barely bigger than my little fingernail. "Just to remind you that you're always a champ in my books, no matter what anyone else may say about you. You're great at what you do, you just need to be more confident." Gary said as he lifted it up then secured it around my neck.

"It's too much. Gary you can't keep on giving my stuff like this." I said to him worriedly. "This must have…" But he shrugged.

"It's nothing. Besides Rubes, you're worth every penny." He said then reached forwards and kissed my cheek. "Isn't that your blimp about to leave?" He questioned curiously as he pulled back and I gasped.

"The blimp! I…you…Gary!" I yelled then glared at him for a moment before giving into my smile and touched the necklace gently. "It's really pretty. Thank you." I told him before running to the blimp to get my ride home.

However the moment I was inside I rushed to the back window and stood there, looking out over the airfield and saw Gary still standing there. He lifted a hand and flicked it out in a half wave, half salute before he turned and walked away.

My hand reached up and held my new good luck charm. Looks like I now owe Gary Oak _big_ time.


End file.
